


The Second B is for Belonging

by Juli



Category: NCIS
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-01-26
Packaged: 2018-03-09 03:15:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3234206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Juli/pseuds/Juli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After their second run-in with Ari, Gibbs is on a tear and Tony does his best to become the agent he thinks that Gibbs needs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Second B is for Belonging

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally published March 2005 by Blackfly Press in the zine, Longing to Belong. Because the story was written several years ago, before much of the NCIS background that is known now was revealed, it does contain some canon inaccuracies, although a few of the most egregious errors have been fixed.
> 
> This story takes place just after the ending of Season 1. Kate is still alive, they’ve just been told that Ari isn’t a bad guy after all (and they haven’t yet learned how wrong that is) and Tom Morrow is still the NCIS director.
> 
> Special note: The story has been modified slightly from the print version. The Canadian spelling and grammar used by the publisher just didn’t feel right for NCIS, so I’ve used my final draft instead of the one published by Blackfly Press. Although it has been beta read, what I’m posting does not reflect the editorial skills of Blackfly Press and any errors are my fault and not theirs. I believe that the zine is still in print, now from Agent with Style (at least it’s on their website).

Kate Todd would be surprised to know it, but there was only the one mirror in Tony DiNozzo’s apartment. It was located in his bathroom and, at the moment, he was leaning against the cold tile of the vanity counter, staring intently at his reflection.

Tony didn’t like what he saw.

Or, more accurately, he didn’t like what he didn’t see.

In the midst of the Ari-the-terrorist debacle, Gibbs had told Tony they were at war. Wars needed soldiers and the man staring at DiNozzo out of the impersonal surface of his mirror was anything but. A playboy, maybe, or a class clown, but not a soldier.

Gibbs needed soldiers.

Tony and his mirror twin flinched as they thought of the last 24 hours. A terrorist had infiltrated their facility months before, taking some of their team hostage and shooting the assistant medical examiner before escaping. The fact that a bad guy had gotten away had visibly eaten at Jethro Gibbs and seeing the man he admired above all others so stressed had eaten away at Tony. If that wasn’t bad enough, the bad guy had returned. McGee, with Abby’s support, had devised the computer program that had identified their nemesis. Ducky had figured out that the man had a medical background, shortening the search even more. Kate, from the sound of the report, had handled herself with her usual plucky aplomb during her ‘kidnapping.’ Even Ari, the bastard himself, turned out to be on the side of the good guys, although his ruthless methods were somewhat suspect.

And what had Tony done? He’d taken a long lunch so he could jog off in pursuit of a piece of Swedish ass.

The reflection in the mirror looked pissed off and Tony didn’t blame it a bit. Pathetic, that’s what his performance had been on this case. He didn’t blame Gibbs for ripping him a new asshole. He only wished that the older man had finished the job and stuffed Tony’s head inside it. Maybe then he’d feel better.

Tony sighed and pushed himself off from the counter before running his hands through his hair. He’d screwed up, big time. Being yelled at by Gibbs was no big deal - it happened almost on a daily basis and Tony had learned to just shrug it off as Gibbs venting. Something was different this time, however. Always before, when Gibbs yelled, the anger didn’t reach the senior agent’s eyes. On this case, though… on this case he’d been well and truly pissed at DiNozzo. And something more. Tony hadn’t been able to look Gibbs in the eye when Gibbs dressed him down; the disappointment in the older man’s expression had been too easy to see. The anger, Tony could take, but the disappointment… that hit hard.  
DiNozzo’s first instinct had been to run. Leroy Jethro Gibbs wasn’t the first person in his life to be angry and disappointed in him. Running had always served him well before. In the post 9/11 world, Tony knew he’d have no trouble picking up a related job in any number of agencies. Or, he could put in for a transfer. With Gibbs as a supervisor, frankly, no one would be surprised that he needed a change in venue. A new job, a new start, and maybe he wouldn’t have such a hard time looking in his mirror.

At the thought, Tony glanced at his reflection and knew he was kidding himself. The lost look in his eyes summed it all up. Running meant leaving Gibbs and that was an idea that just didn’t bear thinking about.

“So, what the hell are you gonna do?” Tony asked himself.

His mind brought him back to Gibbs’ statement that they were at war. Wars needed soldiers; Gibbs needed soldiers. The playboy and the clown just wouldn’t cut it anymore.

If Gibbs needed soldiers, then, by God, that’s what he was going to get.  
________________________________________

“Hold the elevator!”

Jethro Gibbs threw out an arm to keep the elevator doors from closing, waiting for the scurrying figure of one of his employees, Kate Todd. She smiled her thanks as she ducked inside, but frowned as she got a good look at his face.

“Oh my God! Gibbs, who hit you?”

Gibbs calmly took a sip of his coffee and punched the button for the correct floor. “Ducky.”

She was speechless for a full ten seconds, something of a new record. Tony might have the reputation as the chatty one, but it was Gibbs’ experience that Kate had almost as much trouble as DiNozzo in the keeping-the-mouth-shut department.

“Ducky! Our Ducky? Gentle, sweet Donald Mallard?”

He grinned at her description. “Yes, gentle sweet Ducky… who happens to have a hell of a right hook.”

“But… why?”

Gibbs’ expression sobered. “Let’s just say that he was really looking forward to having Ari on his exam table.”

Jethro Gibbs grimaced as he remembered that conversation. You had to watch the quiet ones; when they blew, they blew big. Not that Ducky was quiet in the usual sense of the word, but the ME was unused to processing strong emotions and had uncharacteristically lost control. Jethro knew the older man hadn’t been angry at him; Ducky had only struck out in sheer frustration at being unable to bring Gerald’s assailant to justice. In all his decades of being Mallard’s friend, Gibbs had never seen Ducky so distraught. As far as Gibbs was concerned, Ducky’s emotional torment was yet another item on Ari’s list of sins.

“Oh,” Kate said eloquently, seemingly cowed by Gibbs’ silence.

The senior agent looked at her askance. He was worried about Kate. She’d handled herself well with the faux kidnapping, but he’d noticed that she seemed… conflicted… when it came to Ari.

Conflicted. Huh. Why did that word seem so familiar?

“I heard there was an unexplained blood stain on the lab floor the other night.” Kate carefully didn’t look at him as she made the statement.

“That so.” Gibbs said noncommittally.

“Yeah,” Kate responded. She opened her mouth to say something more but, after glancing at Gibbs, snapped it shut. The rest of their elevator ride passed in awkward silence.

Gibbs’ slight smile was almost hidden as he took a gulp of coffee. Tony would’ve asked, he decided, but Kate hadn’t. The female agent had the balls to tackle such a question, but wasn’t as attuned to his moods as DiNozzo was. Either that or she had a stronger survival instinct.

Kate jumped when the elevator doors opened and all but leapt out of the small compartment to escape into the office. Gibbs followed at a more dignified pace. As a matter of course, his eyes flickered over the sea of desks and Gibbs was pleased to see that DiNozzo was already seated in front of his computer. McGee sat at Chris Pacci’s old desk, which meant that Abby would soon find a reason to come up from the lab….

Wait a minute.

Gibbs’ eyes went back to Tony. The younger man had done something to his hair; it was noticeably shorter than it had been last time Gibbs had seen him. Not a military cut, but definitely shorter. Gibbs couldn’t decide if he liked it or not. The Marine in him approved of shorter hair, but he couldn’t deny that a longer style suited Tony.

“You cut your hair!”

Kate’s startled announcement sounded while Gibbs was still trying to make up his own mind. Not that the younger man needed Gibbs’ approval for a haircut, but Gibbs had long resigned himself to an unprofessional interest in Tony DiNozzo. The rest of the world might not be aware of it, but Gibbs was and that was enough.

Even though he was thinking hard, Gibbs still noticed that Tony’s response to Kate was a simple yes, sans flirting or any impertinent asides.

“Well, don’t get your hopes up that someone will mistake you for military,” Kate continued. “As soon as you open your mouth and say something, the illusion will be shattered.”

Gibbs frowned at the meanness of her teasing, but Tony just shrugged before answering, “I’ll keep that under advisement, Kate. Thanks.”

DiNozzo looked over and saw Gibbs. “Boss, we’ve got a body. Public park just inside the Virginia state line.”

Jethro’s frowned deepened. As much as he liked his work, news of a dead body was never good. He started to ask for details but, before he could, Tony began talking again.

“It’s female and, according to the officer on the scene, the deceased is dressed in camo fatigues.” Tony rattled off. “They also found a standard military duffle bag with a Navy insignia on the scene.”

“Call Ducky on his cell; he can meet us there -….” Gibbs began.

Tony jumped in while the older man was still taking a breath.

“Already did, Boss, he’ll probably beat us there.” As he spoke, Tony was gathering his gear.

“Good,” Gibbs said with satisfaction. “We’ll leave as soon as you gas up the truck.”

“Taken care of, Boss,” Tony said, turning to Gibbs expectantly.

Gibbs didn’t even blink. “Well, what are you just standing there for, DiNozzo? Let’s go. You too, Kate.”

Jethro chose not to hear Kate’s frustrated sigh and instead strode back to the elevator. Tony beat him to it, slapping the button while Gibbs’ hand was only halfway there. While they waited for both Kate and the elevator to catch up, Gibbs gave DiNozzo an assessing look. Tony was a good agent, otherwise he wouldn’t be on Gibbs’ team, but his behavior so far this morning was almost a little too efficient.

Studying DiNozzo over the rim of his coffee mug as he took another sip, Gibbs wondered if the ass-chewing he’d given DiNozzo the other day had anything to do with this new attitude. Hopefully, it did. Hopefully, this uber-agent act was real and not just some elaborate joke DiNozzo was pulling.

Because if Tony was joking… Heaven help him because Gibbs certainly wouldn’t.  
________________________________________  
Great. Just great.

Tony sighed and leaned his forehead against the mirror. He’d had longer days at work before, but this one… this one had felt like it would never end. When he’d finally gotten home, all Tony had wanted to do was crawl into bed and pull the covers up over his head. Instead, he was back in his bathroom, peering intently into the mirror again.

It figured. He’d reinvented himself and no one had noticed, except for the superficial change to his hair.

Superficial. That described him perfectly.

He’d done his best today to be the flawless agent that Gibbs needed. No jokes. No flirting. No distractions. What did it get him? For a moment – for a very brief moment – he’d thought he’d seen a flicker of approval in Gibbs’ eyes. Before he could even savor it, though, a curtain of suspicion had seemed to fall across Gibbs’ face. And so Tony had tried harder, out Kate-ing even Kate, but to no avail. Gibbs kept giving him the evil eye, as though expecting Tony to disappoint him.  
Tony sighed again before forcing himself to straighten to his full height. It had only been one day – it obviously was going to take longer to convince a man like Jethro Gibbs that he had changed for real. He should have expected that and the fact that he hadn’t was just another indication of how far he had to go.

Pushing himself away from the bathroom counter, Tony turned away from the mirror without a backward glance. It wasn’t quite dark outside; he’d be able to get a decent run in yet before bedtime. Getting into better physical shape was part of the package.

He’d prove himself to Gibbs, if it was the last thing he did.  
________________________________________  
“C’mon, let’s go.”

Tony looked up at Kate. The female agent was standing at his desk, purse on her shoulder and an expectant look on her face. Tony racked his brain but couldn’t think of anywhere he was supposed to be. Gibbs was off attending a Homeland Security seminar and, since they didn’t have any active cases, Tony had been spending the downtime cross-referencing case files.

“What?” He finally gave up and asked.

“Lunch, with Ducky,” Kate explained, a hint of irritation in her voice. “You promised last time that you wouldn’t blow us off – again – this week.”

“I did?” Tony asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

In the weeks since the whole Ari incident, he’d tried to avoid lunch with Kate and Ducky. It brought back too many memories of his less than stellar behavior with Marta.

Ducky stepped out of the elevator just as Kate said, “Yes, you did.”

“Look, guys, I’m right in the middle of something here,” Tony said. “You should go without me.”

“You promised, DiNozzo,” Kate responded. “Those case files you’re working with are from before Gibbs was NCIS. I think they can wait another hour while we eat. Besides, it’s your turn to pay – and has been for the last six weeks you’ve made excuses not to come.”

Ah. It was about the money, then. Tony should have figured that one out.

Sighing in relief, Tony reached for his wallet. “I’m not trying to be a mooch. I’ll pay for your meals but I really can’t get away right now.”

“I’m afraid, Anthony, that’s just not acceptable.” Ducky spoke firmly as he reached over and calmly pushed the button that powered down Tony’s computer monitor. “Come along. That busywork you’re so fond of can wait until we get back.”  
Speechless, Tony looked from Kate to Ducky. They wore twin implacable expressions of determination and Tony reluctantly came to the conclusion that this was one lunch he wouldn’t be able to get out of.

“Fine,” he said tersely, refusing to be gracious about it.

Despite his misgivings, lunch seemed almost normal. The restaurant they frequented was within walking distance and the crowded sidewalks made conversation impossible. After arriving, their time was taken with being seated and making their selections. In due course, they ordered their food and while waiting for it to arrive, Ducky told stories and Kate asked for advice on how to work with Gibbs. It felt so normal, in fact, that Tony ached with the familiarity of their camaraderie. It was only himself, apparently, that had changed.

At least, it seemed that way at first. Lunch took a decided turn for the worse after the food arrived.

“If that’s the best you can do, Anthony,” Ducky said from out of the blue, “I shall have to report you.”

Startled, Tony looked up from listlessly combing his fork through the greens of his salad. “Excuse me?”

“I thought that, perhaps, from what Caitlin told me, you simply weren’t taking the time to eat,” Ducky explained. He nodded at Tony’s bowl, which was still mostly full. “But if that’s any indication of how you behave at meals, I’d say your appetite is suffering.”

Tony put his fork down and belligerently crossed his arms over his chest. “So? What does that have to do with reporting me? For what and to who?”

Ducky sighed and put his own fork down. “It’s not my primary duty at NCIS, but as a physician, if I notice that any of the agents are having difficulty with the physical portion of their job, I would be remiss not to report it. To your supervisor, whom we both know is Jethro Gibbs.”

DiNozzo felt as if his heart had stopped. The last thing that he needed was Gibbs hearing something that might make him think of Tony as a weakling. His physical prowess was one of the few good things he had going for him at work.  
“And what makes you think I have a hard time with the physical part of my job?” He almost snarled, pulling himself to his full height as he sat in his chair, doing his best to loom over the table at the shorter Ducky.

“Nothing – yet,” the medical examiner answered calmly. After years of experience in dealing with Jethro Gibbs’ moods, he obviously didn’t find Tony the least bit intimidating. “But you’ve lost at least twenty pounds in less than two months. That isn’t normal and could be a sign of a physical ailment.”

Tony glared at Kate, who’d been oddly silent during this part of the conversation. “You put him up to this, didn’t you?”

His colleague had been trying to corner him for a couple of weeks now, asking questions and expressing concern. Tony did his best to avoid talking to Kate. After all, except for a couple of times where she’d gotten too emotionally involved, Kate had been closer to being the perfect agent than him right from the very beginning.

“I was worried,” Kate said. “We were worried.”

Tony threw his hands up in frustration. “So, I lost a few pounds. What’s wrong with trying to get into shape?”

“It’s more than a few, Anthony,” Ducky retorted. “And probably twice as many as was good for you to lose.”

“And that’s not all,” Kate jumped in. “You don’t joke anymore or ogle women. You don’t brag about your dates anymore, either. In fact, I don’t think you do date, you don’t leave the office long enough.”

“Well, someone alert Dr. Phil,” Tony smirked. “Sounds like I’m a real mess.” He dropped the smile. “Actually, all it sounds like is that I’m more professional than I used to be. Kate, I thought you would have wanted that.”

“Me too,” Kate admitted.

“Then what’s the problem?” Tony asked plaintively.

“It’s just not the same,” she tried to explain. “I hate to admit it, but I miss the old you and I’ve been worried that there’s something wrong. Physically wrong.”

“I’m fine,” Tony said, rolling his eyes. “No wasting disease or secret illness or anything like that.”

“I’m not so sure,” Ducky disagreed. “When someone exhibits drastic personality changes, loses interest in activities they used to enjoy and either gains or loses excessive weight, it’s often a sign of depression and that, my friend, is a very insidious disease indeed.”

“I’m not depressed,” Tony retorted. Why didn’t they understand? “I’m just trying to better myself.”

“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?” Kate said sharply. “I think we can add insomnia to the list too, from the bags under your eyes. If this is your idea of bettering yourself, I think you need to think again.”

Tony smiled bitterly at the mirror comment. “I appreciate your concern, but really, I’m okay. If you don’t mind, I have to get back to work.”

Ducky grabbed his wrist as Tony got up from the table. “Anthony, I will bring this to Jethro’s attention if I feel justified in doing so.”

DiNozzo shrugged. “Do what you have to, Duck, but what makes you think Gibbs hasn’t noticed already?”

“Because you haven’t killed anyone or broken the law,” Ducky snorted. “Jethro has a keen mind for criminal detail, but personal niceties tend to escape him. I will tell him if I have to; I won’t have you jeopardizing your health in your zeal to reach some impossible goal of perfection.”

“Go right ahead, either one of you,” Tony challenged them. Shaking off Ducky’s grip and standing up, he reached for his wallet. He peeled off a couple of bills to cover the tab and strode away, despite hearing Kate call out his name.

Let them tell Gibbs if they wanted to – it wasn’t as if Gibbs would care anyway.  
________________________________________

After spending far too much time cooped up in a cross-agency Homeland Security seminar, Jethro Gibbs was more than ready to go home. It wasn’t that he didn’t think the topic was important. It was, in fact, vital and he knew it. It just went against his nature to sit around talking something to death instead of actually taking action to make the situation better.  
Contrary to popular belief, Gibbs didn’t actually live at NCIS. He had a house and, more importantly, a boat to go home to. Unfortunately, he also had left his Palm Pilot at the office. That left him two choices. He could say screw it and leave the damn thing there until the work day tomorrow or he could make a detour on the way home. He decided on the latter course of action. It wouldn’t take very long and if it saved him from having to admit to Kate that he’d left it behind, it would be worth it. In fact, it was late enough that everyone should be gone, letting him sneak in and keep his secret safe.  
When he got to the office, however, there was still a light on. Puzzled, Gibbs tried to think of who it could be. It wasn’t on the floor that housed the lab, so it couldn’t be resident night owl, Abby, and Ducky wouldn’t stick around unless there was a reason. If a case had come up, Gibbs would have been notified. He was confident of that. He’d left his Palm Pilot behind, after all, not his cellphone.

A few more steps into the office and Jethro had his answer. The person working so late was Tony.

Gibbs frowned and scrubbed his face with one hand. This had to stop and, since he had a feeling it was his fault it was happening in the first place, he figured it was up to him to do it.

It had taken him only a day to figure out that this new attitude of DiNozzo’s was no joke – and less than half of that to figure out that he didn’t like it. Oh, he approved of Tony’s sharpened focus on work , but what he’d had in mind when he’d lectured DiNozzo was a far cry from the obsession that his words seemed to have provoked. Take Kate Todd’s sense of responsibility, Stan Burley’s conscientiousness and his own fixation on the job, add them together and multiply by ten, and you got Tony DiNozzo’s current state of mind. It wasn’t healthy. Not for anyone and especially not for a normally lighthearted person like DiNozzo.

Besides, Gibbs missed the old Tony, more than he’d ever care to admit.

He frowned as he observed the man he supervised. Gibbs had hoped that having himself out of the office all day would give Tony some space to find his equilibrium. Looking at the tense expression DiNozzo wore while he stared at his computer screen, that obviously hadn’t happened. Gibbs also noticed the lack of candy or any other kind of wrappers littering Tony’s desk, the ongoing munching a given when the younger man had to work long hours. Their lack was not a good sign, not when DiNozzo’s face was almost gaunt, he’d become so thin. Why didn’t Kate and Ducky drag the man out for one of those infernal lunches of theirs?

Kate and Ducky probably thought that Gibbs hadn’t noticed that anything was wrong, but that was categorically untrue. He knew Tony DiNozzo, better than anyone suspected and not entirely in a professional light. He’d assumed that Tony’s cheeky personality would surface at some point, asserting itself over this robot-like behavior. He’d been wrong. Week after week had passed by, all the joy Tony took in both the job and in life seemingly gone. That situation, Gibbs had ultimately decided, was unacceptable.

What he wanted to do was stride into the office, pull Tony out of his chair and shake him until his teeth rattled. Or maybe pull him into his arms and kiss him until he was breathless. As appealing as those ideas sounded, particularly the second one, Gibbs didn’t dare chance it. During a case, he was on familiar footing and usually knew exactly what to do. Personal issues were another thing, as three broken marriages so unfailingly pointed out. Figuring out how to help Tony would be a more delicate matter than he was usually capable of handling and would therefore require more thought.  
A strategic withdrawal was in order. He’d just have to leave the damn Palm Pilot and put up with Kate’s teasing about it tomorrow. Quietly, Gibbs turned and left, a quick backward glance confirming that Tony’s concentration had been so intense, he’d never even noticed he’d been observed.

Thinking of his frustration over the seminar he’d just been forced to attend, Gibbs couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Hadn’t he just been complaining about talking something to death instead of taking action? Perhaps he hadn’t been talking about Tony’s condition with anyone, but he’d certainly been thinking it to death. It was long past the time for action – for Tony’s sake.

All he had to do now was figure out what action to take.  
________________________________________

Try as he might, the characters on the computer screen still swam and danced in front of his eyes. Tony glanced down at his watch. Damn. It was only 7 o’clock in the morning. Usually he didn’t have a hard time staring at the screen until sometime in the afternoon.

He’d worked on his pet project until almost midnight last night before heading home and going for a five mile run. He’d meant to finish reading that article about computer viruses after that, but just couldn’t keep his eyes open long enough. Tony had awakened, groggy and sore from falling asleep on the couch, and barely made it into the office by six. That was a little later than he’d been getting to work lately and DiNozzo resigned himself to staying an hour longer that night to make up for his lapse. At least Gibbs wasn’t there yet.

With practiced ease, Tony grabbed the bottle of eyedrops he’d taken to keeping by his computer. He tilted his head back and put a couple of drops in each eye, impatiently waiting for the sting to go away. When he blinked away the resultant tears, he saw that both Gibbs and Kate had arrived. He looked at Kate warily, but she just shook her head minutely. Tony released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Good ol’ Kate. She obviously didn’t approve of the new DiNozzo, but wasn’t going to involve Gibbs either.

Yet, anyway.

“Here, eat,” Gibbs said, dropping a bag onto Tony’s desk.

DiNozzo looked at it suspiciously. “What’s this?”

“Breakfast,” the older agent said. He was holding a bagel sandwich and was talking around a bite of it.  
“Put hair on your chest,” Gibbs said, dropping another bag onto Kate’s desk.

“Gee, thanks, Gibbs,” Kate said sarcastically. “Hair on my chest - just what I always wanted.”

Both Kate and Gibbs turned to Tony expectantly, like they were waiting for him to say something. The old Tony, the flippant Tony, probably would have. The new, focused Tony just shrugged his shoulders.

“DiNozzo, what have you got there?” Gibbs asked after a few moments. “We get assigned a new case you didn’t tell us about?”

Tony shook his head. “Just working on that project, Boss.”

Gibbs approached Tony’s desk and looked over the younger man’s shoulder. “What project is that?”

“I’m building a matrix of any and all cases NCIS has worked on that have had even a hint of terrorist activity.” Tony said. “To see if there are any interconnections.”

Gibbs frowned. “You were workin’ on that weeks ago. I thought you finished?”

Tony twisted his head to either side to work his protesting muscles. “That was current cases. I’ve been working my way back in time, seeing what I can link up.”

Gibbs leaned forward, taking a closer look at Tony’s screen. “DiNozzo, those cases are from the early 1980s.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s twenty years ago.” Gibbs pointed out.

“I know,” Tony said, confused. He and Gibbs had talked about it when he started planning it, earlier in the month. “I thought you said this project was a good idea?”

He noticed that Gibbs clenched his hand and braced himself for a whup upside the head. Instead, Gibbs just calmly said, “It was a good idea – still is. I’m just not sure that tracing old, solved cases from two decades ago is worth so much of your time.”

Tony clasped his hands together in front of him, cracking his knuckles before placing his fingers back on the keyboard. “Like you said, Boss, we’re at war. I’m on the job until you tell me I’m not. Besides, we don’t have a case right now and I might as well be doing something productive.”

Gibbs grunted and tapped the unopened bag. “This bagel won’t eat itself. I don’t spring for breakfast often, so eat.”

Tony sighed and obligingly unwrapped what Gibbs had brought him. First Kate and Ducky and now Gibbs. What was with everybody trying to get him to eat? Suspicious, he glanced at Kate again, but she was on her phone.

“So, Cassidy was able to get you those records from Gitmo?” Gibbs asked after Tony had taken a bite.

DiNozzo swallowed. “Yeah, she sent them over a long time ago.” He couldn’t figure out what Gibbs was after – the information Paula had provided had been put into his matrix right at the beginning, as Gibbs well knew.

“I had a feeling she’d come through, she likes you.” Gibbs said. He was staring at DiNozzo’s computer screen, but Tony wasn’t fooled. Gibbs was watching him.

“She’s a good agent,” Tony said cautiously. “She’d have done the same for any of us.”

“But would she have done it so quickly?” Gibbs asked. “I’m sure she was just as eager as you to work together again.”  
Tony felt his stomach roll. So, that was it. After the incident with Marta, the Swedish terrorist, Gibbs was poking at him about another misstep with a female involved with one of their cases. DiNozzo put his bagel down. He hadn’t been hungry before, but had at least tried to eat to appease Gibbs. Now he was wishing he hadn’t bothered because it didn’t feel like the bagel was going to stay down.

What was next, bringing up Amanda Reed?

“Guys, a three year-old girl was just reported missing from a naval officer’s housing unit,” Kate said tersely even as she hung up her phone.

Bagel, terrorist matrix and mistakes alike were forgotten in the rush to gather up his gear. Each new case was another chance to prove himself to Gibbs. After the conversation he’d just had with the man, obviously he needed every chance he could get.  
________________________________________

Give him a good, old-fashioned murder case any day of the week. Cases involving kids, even ones that ended happily, always felt like someone’d left grimy fingerprints on his soul.

This time, all was well that ended well. Little Gillian McCoomb was back home. Gibbs’ team had worked for 21 hours straight, but they’d found the child. She’d been snatched, but by another Navy wife, thankfully, and not some sexual predator. The woman had been convinced that Gillian was really her child and was now on her way to receive mental observation. More importantly, Gillian had been reunited with her grateful parents.

And Gibbs and his team were on their way back to the office.

“What made you think to question some of the other children, Tony?” Kate asked. She was sitting in the front passenger’s seat while Gibbs drove.

When there was no answer, Gibbs reached up and angled his mirror to look in the backseat. Tony was asleep, head leaning against the window.

Kate turned to look and when she straightened, she was smiling. “He seems so innocent when he’s asleep, doesn’t he?  
When he’s like that, it’s hard to believe he’s one of the most infuriating human beings on the face of the planet.”

Gibbs grunted in reply, but he didn’t reach up to readjust his mirror to its normal position.  
“At least he used be,” Kate continued.

By the look on her face, Gibbs had a feeling he knew what was coming next.

“Gibbs, have you noticed how Tony’s been acting lately?” Kate asked.

“You mean taking on special projects willingly, coming in early, and getting his reports in on time?” Gibbs asked.  
“That’s one way to put it,” Kate started, “but I was more thinking of …”

“The fact that he’s also withdrawn, obsessed with being perfect on the job, and not taking care of himself?” Gibbs finished for her.

Kate relaxed and slumped in her seat. “Yeah, that’s it. Ducky, Abby and I have been worried about him.”

“DiNozzo’s a big boy,” Jethro said to her. He supposed he should be grateful that Tony’s co-workers wanted to help him, but a small, needy part of Gibbs that he wasn’t too proud of wanted to be the one who helped Tony.

Besides, it was his fault; his mess to fix.

“It’s just hard, seeing him so torn up,” Kate said. “I think his personality change and the way he’s running himself into the ground could be part of a bigger problem. Just look at him now. Sure, we’re all tired but you and I have physical reserves to draw on. Tony doesn’t, he’s used his up.”

“Agent Todd,” Gibbs snapped. It came out louder than he expected and both he and Kate looked back, he with the mirror and she by turning, to make sure that he hadn’t been loud enough to wake Tony up.

“Kate,” Gibbs started again, softer this time. “You’re a profiler, not a shrink. Tony’s just going through a rough period with the job. He’ll adjust, we all do.”

“You think so?” She asked.

“Yeah, I do.”

Gibbs was relieved that the conversation ended there, before Kate said something about Tony’s history of changing jobs after about two years – right at the point he was with his NCIS career. Gibbs was determined that DiNozzo would break that pattern and that he would be the one to help him do it. Tony belonged at NCIS and not just because a selfish bastard by the name of Leroy Jethro Gibbs wanted him there. No, Tony was smart, had great instincts, and had been dedicated to the job even before Gibbs had chewed his ass out.

All he had to do was convince Tony of that.  
________________________________________

For the first time in weeks, Tony was planning on leaving the office while it was still light out. Seeing the clock hit five and knowing there were no new cases on the docket, he shut down his computer and reached for his backpack.

“Tony, you got a red marker I could borrow?”

DiNozzo looked up at Kate’s question, forehead wrinkled as he frowned at her question. “No, I don’t think so. What do you need one of those for, anyway?”

She smirked at him as she gathered up her own belongings in preparation to leaving for the day. “I want to mark today on my calendar as a day where you actually left the office and went home.” Kate stopped and looked at him appraisingly. “Say, if you’re leaving for the day, you want to come with me for dinner? I’ve got this friend who’s meeting me and she’s not seeing anybody right now….”

Tony stopped in his tracks. “Are you trying to set me up on a date… with one of your friends?”

“Well, she’s not a really good friend,” Kate quipped and then sighed when he didn’t tease back. “I just thought, you know, that you might want to do something casual. Away from work and work-related issues.”

“Thanks anyway, Kate,” Tony said, slipping his backpack over his shoulder. “But I already got plans for the evening.”  
“A date?” She asked, a hopeful tone in her voice.

“You could call it that. ‘Night, Kate.”

Tony walked away before she could ask him anymore questions. He was in the elevator and gone before Kate was ready to leave, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief as he leaned against the elevator wall. He did have a date, of sorts. But instead of a romantic one, it was an appointment at the local target range. He’d been meaning to work on the accuracy of his shot ever since Gibbs had made him shoot his beloved hat, but never could find the time. Now, while he was waiting for new data to come in for his terrorist matrix, he had a little to spare.

DiNozzo jumped a bit when his cell phone rang and, after seeing a familiar number, he groaned.

“Hey, Pete,” Tony said into the phone. The elevator doors opened and he headed for his car.

“Tone!” His former frat brother's voice came through loud and clear. “It’s that time of year, bro. Got the cabin all picked out. Do you have your fishing license yet?”

Tony scratched idly at his forehead. “Look, Pete, about our annual fishing trip…”

“Aw, c’mon, Tone,” his friend whined, anticipating what DiNozzo was going to say. “Don’t tell me that hard-nosed boss of yours won’t give you one measly weekend off?”

“Gibbs isn’t hard-nosed,” Tony quickly defended his boss. “He’s just dedicated to his work… and I didn’t exactly ask for the weekend off.”

To Tony’s surprise, his frat brother didn’t respond with more whining. Instead, he heard laughter coming from the other end. “Oh, so that’s the way it is. You should have told me, Tone.”

DiNozzo reached his car and threw his backpack in the rear seat before sliding behind the wheel. “What?”

“The hard-nosed type,” Pete teased. “You always did fall for that kind of guy. Maybe ‘cause his nose isn’t the only thing that’s hard? I can’t figure you out, kiddo. You like your women soft and your men just the opposite.”

“Pete….” Tony growled. He was glad that his friend hadn’t called until Tony was out of the office. Otherwise, everyone would want to know why he was blushing.

“Okay, bro, you’re off the hook this time,” Pete was still laughing. “No pun intended. We’ll do our fishing trip later, when maybe this Gibbs guy’s out of your system.”

“Thanks, Pete,” Tony said gratefully, not bothering to correct the other man as they made their goodbyes. The pathetic truth was, Tony was confident that Gibbs never would be out of his system. He had no hope that the other way around was true, but if he worked hard enough, hopefully he’d make himself indispensable to Gibbs on a professional level. It was all he could hope for but, if he was successful, it would be enough.  
________________________________________

Working on his boat usually brought Gibbs a sense of peace, but not at the moment. When he’d broken the third plank in a row, he decided to call it a night.

Maybe he should have taken the offer of help that Kate had implied. As much as he wanted to be the one to fix Tony’s world, nothing he tried seemed to work. He brought DiNozzo food, which the younger man didn’t eat. He’d tried encouraging Tony in what had been his favorite past-time before, chasing skirts, but it hadn’t seemed to help. Gibbs would have sworn there was some mutual attraction between Special Agent Paula Cassidy and DiNozzo, but Tony hadn’t reacted to her name at all.

“Screw this,” Gibbs muttered under his breath.

He snatched his cordless phone off its cradle and dialed a familiar number without even looking. As he listened to it ring, he searched his workbench for the bottle of bourbon he kept there for medicinal purposes.

Gibbs almost hadn’t expected his call to be answered, but eventually a sleepy voice said, “Hello?”

“Stan,” Gibbs said briskly. “Tell me, just how big of a bastard am I, anyway?”

“What?” Gibbs could hear rustling as the other man fumbled, no doubt looking for a light switch or to see what time it was. “Boss, are you sure you want to ask me that particular question at 3:12 in the morning?”

“You worked for me for five years, Stan. You know what I’m like.” Gibbs pressed the other man. Finally finding the bottle, he uncorked it with his teeth. “How big of a bastard am I?”

Silence greeted his question, making the answer clear.

“That big, huh?” Gibbs said quietly. “Damn.”

“You’re no harder on anyone else than you are on yourself, Boss,” Stan’s voice sounded almost apologetic.

Gibbs’ coffee mug was still half-full, so he drank right from the bottle. Wincing at the alcohol’s burn, he wiped his mouth before responding to Burley’s comment. “Spare me the sentiment, Stanley. I can take it.”

“Okay, Boss, you’re an unmitigated bastard,” Stan responded and then the sound of a yawn could be heard. “Can I go back to sleep now?”

“Not so quick, Stan.” Gibbs said. “What did you think of DiNozzo?”

There was such a prolonged silence on the other end of the phone, Gibbs began to think Burley really had hung up on him. “Stan?”

“So that’s what this is all about.” There was remoteness in Burley’s voice that couldn’t be completely accounted for by the fact that they were speaking over a distance of hundreds of miles.

“What do you mean, ‘that’s what this is about’?” Gibbs retorted sharply. “I want to get your opinion on another agent, that’s all.”

“Gibbs, I worked for you through five long years and one short marriage,” Burley said firmly. “You may have most people fooled into thinking you’re a no-nonsense kind of guy, but I know better. You can shovel shit with the best of them and right now you’re spading for all you’re worth.”

Gibbs grimaced. “All right,” he admitted. “DiNozzo is what this is all about. Doesn’t change the fact that I’d still like to know what you think of him.” Jethro heard a deep sigh through the connection. “I value your opinion, Stan.”

“Tony seemed like a good guy,” Stan’s words came slowly, as though reluctantly. “I only worked with him and Agent Todd for a couple of days, but it was easy to see that he’s smart as a whip and really talented on the job.”

“That’s good to hear,” Jethro said.

“You don’t give a rat’s ass about my opinion on that stuff, Boss,” Stan retorted. “You’d rather make up your own mind about an agent’s ability to do the job.”

Since that was true, Gibbs didn’t try to correct him. Instead, he took another swig of bourbon and waited.

“But, going back to your bastard question,” Burley continued, “… be careful, Boss. This one’s not as confident as he acts and he’s so in love with you that it’s almost painful to watch.”

Gibbs pressed the bottle against his forehead. He had a feeling that was a case, but it was still a kick in the gut to hear someone else say it. “Aw, hell.”

“I take it my warning came a little late,” Burley said with an audible sigh. “Which rant was it? The ‘we’re at war’ rant or the ‘you’re on the job until I tell you you’re not’ rant’?”

“Both,” Gibbs admitted reluctantly.

“Boss, what were you thinking?” Burley chided him. “Tony’s not like me. Working as a senator’s aide, I was so used to backstabbing and politicking that you were actually refreshing. All kidding about ulcers and heart palpitations aside, I appreciated your bluntness. I don’t think Tony takes it that way.”

Gibbs put the bourbon bottle down with a thump. “DiNozzo’s no wimp, Stan.”

“I didn’t say he was, Boss,” Burley corrected him. “But having a self confidence problem and being in love with you is a dangerous combination. You could hurt him real bad, Boss, without even trying.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Gibbs said shortly.

Like, maybe, what he should do next.

“Wow, listen to you, Boss,” Burley exclaimed. “You almost sound like you’ve forgotten Rule #12.”

Gibbs ran a hand through his hair. “Rule #12… might be overrated.”

The profound silence on the other end of the connection reminded Gibbs of who he was talking to. Stan Burley – the man he’d all but run off his team.

Because of Rule #12.

“Stan, I’m sorry,” Gibbs said quietly.

Even through the long distance connection, Gibbs could hear how shaky the breath was that Burley took.

“It’s okay, Boss,” Stan eventually said. “If you hadn’t rejected me, I never would have met Ray.”

“Ray’s a good man,” Gibbs said. “I hope he knows how lucky he is.”

“Oh, he does,” Burley responded. “Tells me every day, even when I’ve been posted to ship duty. Gotta love that text messaging.” When Jethro only grunted, Burley laughed. “You should try it sometime.”

“What? Text messaging?” Gibbs asked.

“Nice try, Boss,” Stan said around a yawn. “I meant, you might try talking to Tony about this stuff instead of me. And, for God’s sake, if he’s doing a good job, let him know it.”

“I do,” Gibbs protested.

“An absence of snarking is not the same thing as a compliment, Boss,” Stan disagreed.

“I’m his supervisor, not his babysitter,” Gibbs grumbled. “My job is not to blow smoke up DiNozzo’s ass. He knows when he’s getting the job done.”

“Of course he does,” Burley agreed. “But he needs to know that you know he’s getting the job done. I only worked with Tony a couple of days, but he struck me as the type that’s going to need reassurance once in a while.”

“Great,” Gibbs said sarcastically. “That’s just what I’m good at.”

“You can do it, Boss,” Stan encouraged him. “In fact, I think you’ll have to, if you want to keep Tony around.”  
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of another yawn.

“Thanks for the advice, Stan,” Gibbs said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. “Go back to bed.”

“Hey, you flew out to the middle of the ocean to help me on that case, it’s the least I could do.” Stan’s voice softened. “And, Jethro, good luck. I don’t like to think of you being so alone.”

Before Gibbs could warn him about getting too sentimental, Stan had hung up… leaving Jethro with only a mostly-empty bottle of bourbon and a head full of thoughts to keep him company.

________________________________________

“Maybe it won’t be so bad.”

Tony opened one eye to look at his colleague. “I screwed up, Kate. Gibbs should be mad.”

The two agents sat in the waiting area of a bustling emergency room. Tony held a gel-type ice pack to the back of his head. The shallow knife wound to Kate’s upper arm had already been bandaged by the EMTs and she was waiting to see if she needed stitches. Their mutual boss had left for the moment, trying to find out why it was taking his people so long to receive treatment.

Tony, for one, was not looking forward to Gibbs coming back.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Kate said. “We all thought there was only one perp we were chasing. When he was in handcuffs, all of us let our guard down. It could have happened to anyone.”

“But it didn’t, Kate,” Tony said quietly. “It happened to me.”

A second perpetrator had snuck up on Tony as Kate and Gibbs read the first one his rights. Tony had been hit from behind and Kate sliced during the ensuing scuffle. Perhaps the desperate man had thought he had a better chance against the remaining agents with one being a petite female, but he’d been wrong. Even as DiNozzo had groggily gotten to his feet, Kate and Gibbs had finished the second guy off – Gibbs with a right punch and Kate with a very business-like kick in the groin.

“We got lucky,” Tony continued. “You could have gotten badly injured instead of just that cut.”

Or, worse yet, Gibbs could have gotten hurt.

Kate put a comforting hand on DiNozzo’s arm. “Really, Tony, it’s okay.”

“If you two can keep your hands off each other, it’s time to go.” Gibbs had arrived, followed by two orderlies, each one pushing a wheelchair.

“Agent Todd, if you’ll come with me,” the first orderly said. He gave Gibbs a wary glance, confirming that the senior agent had likely used his charming personality to bully Kate and Tony to the head of the line of people waiting to be seen.

“I don’t need a wheelchair,” Kate protested as she got up. “It’s really only a scratch.”

“Get in the chair, Kate,” Gibbs ordered. “We don’t know how much blood you lost and we don’t want you getting woozy.”

“Please, ma’am.” After taking a hasty look at Gibbs’ face, the orderly looked at Kate with beseeching eyes. “It really is hospital policy.”

Making no attempt to hide the rolling of her eyes, Kate made a show of sitting in the proffered chair.

“Happy?” She asked Gibbs.

“Ecstatic,” he responded, matching her sarcastic tone. Then he turned to Tony. “DiNozzo, you got any issues with using a wheelchair?”

“No, Boss.” Tony said as he eased himself on the second conveyance. “No issues.”

With both him and Kate hurt, Tony figured he had a fifty-fifty chance of losing Gibbs. He should have known it wouldn’t work that way. When the orderlies took their patients in separate directions, Gibbs followed him and not their female coworker.

With his unwelcome entourage in tow, Tony was soon ensconced in an ER cubicle. Gibbs stood by the door, arms folded across his chest. In his head, Tony mentally wrote and discarded a succession of apologetic explanations for what had happened. None seemed good enough, nor did he relish getting the dressing down he so richly deserved in the public venue of a hospital.

Luckily for Tony, only a few minutes passed by before the doctor hurried in.

“Mr. DiNozzo, I’m Doctor Jensen,” she introduced herself. Tall and with dark auburn hair, she appeared to be in her early 40s. Taking a good look at Tony, the doctor’s eyebrows went up and she removed her glasses before offering Tony her hand. “Dr. Sylvia Jensen.”

Tony shook hands absently. He was used to that reaction from women. There was a time when he’d liked and encouraged it, but with Gibbs standing a few feet away, he felt only irritation.

“It’s just a bump on the back of my head, Doc,” he explained. “I’ve had worse playing basketball.”

“Well, let me be the judge of that, Mr. DiNozzo,” Dr. Jensen said with a smile. “That’s what they pay me the big bucks for; I might as well earn them.”

She took out a penlight and shone it into his eyes. “Were you unconscious?”

“No.” Seeing Gibbs’ glare, Tony amended his initial response. “Only for a few seconds.”

“How about dizziness or nausea?” Dr. Jensen asked. She’d put away the light and was gently feeling the back of Tony’s head.

“No, not at all,” DiNozzo attempted to give her one of his patented charming smiles, but when it came out more as a grimace, he gave up. “I do have a headache, though.”

“I’d be more surprised if you didn’t,” the doctor said lightly. “Well, Mr. DiNozzo, it looks like you got a good bump on the head , but your pupils are reacting normally and I don’t see anything else that would indicate that there’s something to be concerned about…”

Gibbs hadn’t moved from his station near the door and, from the way the doctor jumped when he spoke, she may not have seen him at first. “Agent DiNozzo was struck in nearly the identical spot on the head approximately eight weeks ago.”

The doctor turned to look at Gibbs, not missing the far-from-subtle emphasis on Tony’s title. As the senior agent had continued to talk, however, her frown was reserved for Tony.

“Is that right?” She asked, addressing her patient.

Tony sighed. He didn’t like remembering the Amanda Reed incident or the bar fight that had erupted when he’d tried to arrest her… him. “Um… yeah.”

Dr. Jensen’s eyes narrowed. “Call us persnickety, Agent DiNozzo, but that’s the kind of information us doctor-types like to be told.”

DiNozzo shrugged, being careful to keep his head still even as his shoulders moved. “Didn’t think it was important.”  
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but it is important,” the doctor responded. Whether it was due to the possibility of Tony being more seriously injured than she’d originally thought or Gibbs’ glare, but Jensen no longer seemed to be interested in flirtation. “We’re going to have to run some tests.”

“Great.” Tony bit back a groan. Just what he wanted to do after an already shitty night – get poked and prodded by a bunch of people in white coats. “Just great.”

Nodding as though satisfied at screwing up what was left of Tony’s night, Gibbs slid out the door. Tony breathed a sigh of relief. At least Gibbs wouldn’t be around while Tony changed into one of those humiliating hospital gowns.

That sense of relief sustained Tony over the next couple of hours. Dr. Jensen had ordered a full battery of tests… and then some. By the time DiNozzo was wheeled back to his cubby, he was so numb that he wasn’t even surprised to find Gibbs, with his ubiquitous cup of coffee, waiting for him.

“Hey, Boss.” Tony greeted his supervisor dully, thoroughly exhausted. “Have you heard anything about Kate? None of the nurses will tell me anything.”

“Six stitches, probably won’t even have a scar.” Gibbs answered. “She went home.”

“Good.” Tony briefly closed his eyes in relief. “Speaking of home, shouldn’t you be headed out, Boss? I can catch a cab when they finally decide to cut me loose.”

Gibbs drained his Styrofoam cup, crushed it in his hand, and tossed it into the garbage. “Not gonna happen.”

Tony tried to summon the energy to ask the older man what, exactly, was not gonna happen. Gibbs leaving? Tony being released? His continued employment at NCIS?

Dr. Jensen came into the room before Tony could ask.

“I’ve got some bad news, Agent DiNozzo,” she said apologetically. “The tests we’ve run so far have been inconclusive and we won’t have an MRI technician available until tomorrow.”

“That’s okay,” Tony said obligingly. “I can come back in the morning.”

Dr. Jensen took her glasses off again, but her manner was conciliatory instead of flirtatious. “You could, but I would advise against it, Agent DiNozzo. In addition to your head injury, we found that you’re badly dehydrated and overall physically rundown. We don’t know how much of that is a result of your previous injury, this injury or something else entirely. It would be in your best interests to stay overnight so we can observe you and get some fluids into you.”  
“Thanks but no thanks, Doc,” Tony said promptly. “I’ll come back tomorrow for more tests if you insist, but I am not staying in here tonight.”

“Insurance won’t pay if you check yourself out against doctor’s advice,” Gibbs said almost laconically. “Doc, what’s the bill on the tests he’s had so far?”

“Several thousand dollars, I’m afraid,” the doctor answered.

“You got several thousand dollars burnin’ a hole in your pocket, DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked him.  
“No.”

Tony felt his shoulders slump. This was worse than when Gibbs and Kate ganged up on him. In the back of his mind, Tony couldn’t help but wonder if effectively trapping him in the hospital was part of Gibbs’ revenge on him for screwing up so badly.

“I’ll make a note for them to try and work you in as soon as possible in the morning, Agent DiNozzo.” Dr. Jensen tried to reassure Tony. “I really think you’ve made the right decision. Head wounds are not to be taken lightly.”

After saying her goodnights, the doctor took her leave, promising a nurse would be by in a few minutes to take care of admitting him.

Tony closed his eyes, more because he was tired than due to any affects of the blow to his head. To his surprise, when he opened them again, Gibbs was standing right in front of him.

“Shouldn’t you be following her, Boss?” He asked. “Her being a redhead and all. Thought maybe you’d want to try and get a date.”

When he saw Gibbs clench and unclench his hand, Tony figured that his head injury was all that was keeping him from getting smacked by Gibbs. Come to think of it, perhaps he should have told Dr. Jensen about all the times the older agent whacked him on the back of the head – his skull had received more than one thump there, that was for darn sure.  
“DiNozzo….” Gibbs’ words were half growl, half warning. “Your car’s still at the office. Call in the morning when they’re ready to release you and someone will come pick you up. Even think about taking a cab and you really will have a head injury worth worrying about.”

“Got it, Boss.”

Gibbs nodded once and turned to leave. He looked back right before he walked out the door. “Be careful of that hospital gown, DiNozzo. Kind of drafty in here.”

Tony immediately clutched the back of the unfamiliar garment, but it was tied correctly in place. With a grimace, he realized he’d once again been had but, oddly enough, the teasing made him feel better. If Gibbs still cared enough to give him a hard time, then the boss wasn’t completely ready to wash his hands of him. Sighing, he settled back on the bed to wait. He had a night in the hospital to look forward to, with the prospect of more tests in the morning. Oh, yeah, when he finally made it back to the office, he had a reaming ala Gibbs coming to him. And it likely would be all the more colorful for the fact that the older man had been forced by circumstances to wait to give it to him.

Oh, joy.  
________________________________________

“Talk to me, Jethro.”

Gibbs frowned. He thought the forms he’d just given the NCIS director were self-explanatory. “Sir?”

Tom Morrow gestured at the documents Gibbs had presented. “Medical leaves for Agents Todd and DiNozzo? From your report, it didn’t seem like the suspects from the Danvers’ killing resisted all that much.”

“My team’s had a rough couple of months, sir.” Jethro explained. “Kate’s had a suspect blow herself up literally right in front of her, been held hostage and seen a colleague get shot, and, mostly recently, been kidnapped by terrorists. The knife wound isn’t all that serious, no, but it’s a cumulative effect.”

“I see you’ve requested one week for her and two weeks for DiNozzo?” The director looked at Gibbs expectantly.

“DiNozzo’s been pushed out of an airplane without adequate parachute training, not to mention being drugged and kidnapped by a serial killer.” Gibbs relaxed minutely in his chair as he realized it was simple curiosity in Morrow’s eyes and not accusation. “The bang to the back of the head he got during the Danvers’ case is the second in the last couple of months – in the same spot.”

Morrows winced in sympathy. “I’ll sign these for you and then some.”

He grinned tightly at Gibbs as he opened a desk drawer. With a flick of the wrist, a third form was added to the pile. A couple of pen strokes later, he’d signed all three and slid them back across the top of the desk towards Gibbs.

Jethro didn’t even look down at them. “One of those for me?”

“Yes,” his boss said. “Your team’s not the only ones around here run ragged, Jethro. Ever since 9/11… you can’t protect the entire country all by yourself.”

“I know that, sir,” Gibbs said, eyes locking onto the director’s. “That’s the military’s job. My job is to protect them while they protect us.”

Morrow didn’t break eye contact. “Which you’ll do more efficiently if you’re in optimum condition.”

Gibbs took a deep breath and blew it out explosively. “Which I’ll do more efficiently if I’m in optimum condition,” he agreed reluctantly.

He got up and turned to leave, but Morrow made another comment that stopped Gibbs in his tracks.

“That kid’s really got you tied up into knots, doesn’t he?”

Jethro hung his head for a moment before retracing his steps and facing his boss. “Is that Tom asking or the director?”

“Tom – for now,” the other man responded.

Gibbs plopped himself back into his chair, sprawling across it instead of his normal ramrod straight posture. There were few people in the world that he was comfortable enough to truly relax around, much less talk to about something like this, but he’d known Tom in both the Marines and now NCIS. The other man knew him better than just about anybody else, as he’d just proven, and had been a trustworthy sounding board on many occasions. “In that case, Tom, he’s driving me nuts.”

“Do yourself a favor, Jethro, and take the boy to bed.” Morrows laughed when his words garnered him an evil look from Gibbs. “Come to think of it, if it took a bit of your edge off, you’d be doing the rest of us a favor too.”

“It’s not that easy, Tom.” Gibbs disagreed. “And DiNozzo’s not a kid. He’s 32 years old.”

Morrow snorted. “Age is more than a number, Jethro.” The director’s expression turned serious. “As for being complicated, those damn rules of yours do that. NCIS is not the military. ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ has no place here. And I’m telling you that as the director.”

Gibbs looked skeptical. “You tellin’ me you’d have no problem with DiNozzo and me….?”

“As long as there’s no hint of sexual harassment issues or any hanky panky on the job, I’m fine with it.” Morrow looked at him levelly. “And, knowing you, either of those happening are as likely as Michael Moore getting invited to the White House while George W. is in office.”

The two men shared a grin.

“Seriously, Jethro,” Tom continued, “My biggest worry is that DiNozzo will move on soon. I remember thinking when you hired him that two years is about his limit and now that anniversary has come and gone. You sure his feet aren’t getting restless?”

“I told you when I wanted to bring him on staff that Tony just needs an environment where he can be himself and also keep his interest level high,” Gibbs said. “He’ll be fine.”

“You sound like you’re convincing yourself,” Morrow pointed out.

Gibbs gave him a crooked grin. “This coming from the man who told me that Stan Burley was a glorified paper pusher and would never make a decent NCIS. And that Kate Todd was a Secret Service prima donna who’d never fit in. Trust me, Tom. Tony’s not going anywhere.”

“See that he doesn’t,” The director’s smile was rueful. Gibbs did have a great eye for NCIS talent. The more time that Morrow spent in the office, fighting paperwork and bureaucracy, the more he lost his touch for the field work. He envied Gibbs sometime.

“Thanks, Tom,” Gibbs said as he got up.

“My pleasure,” Morrow nodded. He waited until the other man was halfway out of the office before adding, “And don’t forget what I said about taking him to bed.”

Gibbs shook his head as he stalked down the corridor. Damn, if he wasn’t surrounded by a bunch of busybodies, not to mention having a boss who wanted to play matchmaker. What the hell was going to do with a week off anyway?  
Jethro looked down at the paperwork in his hand.

Make that two weeks.

Biting back a curse, Gibbs dropped off the forms at the personnel office before heading off to find McGee. There was a time when Tony DiNozzo would have been downright gleeful to be given two weeks off, but with his behavior lately, gleeful was not likely to be his reaction. With Tim’s help, Gibbs would just make sure that Tony didn’t try to sneak around the work restriction.

Gibbs, himself, would go to the hospital early in the morning and break the ‘good’ news. Who would have thought that a gung-ho DiNozzo would have been a problem? Then again, who would have thought that Gibbs, of all people, would have cared so much?  
________________________________________

The bad thing, Tony discovered, about agreeing to be pumped full of fluids was that it made him have to piss more often.  
He’d lucked out in that he had a room to himself. Apparently, the hospital hadn’t been able to snag every unwary patient that came through its doors. Not having to worry about disturbing a roommate, Tony turned the light on as he shuffled into the tiny closet-sized space that served as a bathroom. He had just enough give in his IV line to make it all the way in, although he couldn’t close the door as completely as he would have liked.

His head hurt like a sonofabitch, but Tony hadn’t lied to the doctor. There was no nausea and no dizziness, which probably meant no concussion. The hospital stay was pure nonsense, a pile of unnecessary crap. Tony didn’t fool himself as to why he was there, however. Gibbs wanted him to be there, the senior agent had made that crystal clear. It was beyond Tony to refuse him.

After doing his business, Tony stood at the sink to wash his hands. He glanced at the mirror out of habit and Tony flinched at what he saw. A pale, haggard face peered back at him, eyes tired and looking like they belonged to a much older man. His hair was sticking up every which way. He’d gotten it cut again and it was more unruly than ever.

Not your best look, DiNozzo,” Tony murmured to his reflection.

His mirror self stared somberly back at him. And why not? He’d been trying for two months now to be the soldier that Gibbs needed him to be. He’d been more focused than he’d ever been in his life. Working longer hours than Gibbs himself. Driving his body, as well as his mind, to perfection. Doing his very best to anticipate Gibbs’ needs and filling them before the other man even articulated anything.

And what had been the result?

He’d screwed up, that’s what the result had been. They’d gotten their suspects, right enough, but because of Tony’s lapse, both he and Kate had been injured. Tony had not only proven, without a doubt, that he was not the soldier that Gibbs needed, but he’d, at least temporarily, deprived Gibbs of another valuable team member. Namely, Kate.

There was only one thing Tony could do – try harder. It was what Gibbs expected. Hell, it was what Gibbs would do. He’d stay in the hospital for the lousy tests. It was part of his punishment and he’d take it like a man. As soon as he was released, he’d go back to the office and get the reaming of a lifetime.

Then, once that was out of Gibbs’ system, he’d go back to work. Only, this time, he’d push harder.  
________________________________________

Gibbs had spent years working on the expression he currently wore on his face. It was a combination of ‘don’t fuck with me’ and ‘yes, matter of fact, I am in charge.’ It had served him well in the military and, once in NCIS, he had honed it to perfection. It had gotten him past more police lines and cut through more instances of interagency crap than he could count.

He should have known it wouldn’t work on nurses.

The woman who’d stopped him the hospital corridor wore a uniform smock decorated with pink hearts and white fluffy kittens – and she had a ‘don’t fuck with me’ expression of her own that easily was the equal of Gibbs’.

It was well after visiting hours, being the middle of the night, and Jethro knew he had no right to be there. After his meeting with the director, however, he was unable to go home and sleep. He’d puttered with the reports he needed to write before leaving for his own enforced absence from the office. Finally, he couldn’t argue with himself anymore. He was delaying and the restlessness that plagued him abated only when he got in the car and started driving to the hospital. There, his no-nonsense demeanor had worked perfectly until he’d gotten to Tony’s floor and run into a worthy adversary.

Gibbs was a keen observer and looked more closely at the nurse who questioned his presence in her territory. Her expression had an underlying sense of maternal protectiveness to it and he immediately relaxed his own face somewhat.

“I’m here to check on Agent Anthony DiNozzo, Room 516,” he explained reasonably as he flashed her his I.D.

“Which you can do during normal visiting hours, sir,” the nurse countered implacably. “Overnight visiting hours are only for family.”

Inwardly, Jethro winced. His agents were his family, but that was hard to explain to outsiders.

“Agent DiNozzo’s father recently died and his mother is in a nursing home,” he lied quickly and creatively. “When we broke the news to her that her son had been injured in the line of duty, Mrs. DiNozzo had a bit of a relapse. The only way I could offer comfort was to promise that I would personally check on her son for her. Tony doesn’t have any other family to do it.”

The nurse’s expression softened. “Oh, dear. Well, I guess we can make an exception, being that you’re the law and all.” She stepped out of Jethro’s way. “Just a few minutes, though.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Gibbs flashed her a little boy smile he’d copied from Tony. “Just a few minutes.”

After nodding to the nurse, Jethro stepped quietly to the door of Tony’s room and carefully pushed it open. The harsh light from the corridor illuminated the interior of the small room, which was bleak with the utilitarian nature of a hospital. Tony was curled up on his side facing the door and appeared to be sound asleep.

Gibbs gingerly stepped into the small room. Tony’s eyesight wasn’t the only keen sense the younger man had and he didn’t want to make enough noise to wake him. He’d barely gotten in, however, when DiNozzo snuffled softly in his sleep and his head shifted on his pillow. Jethro froze, not daring to come any closer, even after Tony subsided.  
He stood, silent and unmoving, for several moments, just drinking in the sight of Tony. It had scared the crap of him when that perp had come out of nowhere and struck the younger man. The way Tony had lain, unmoving, had terrified him. He’d made quick work subduing the assailant so he could check on his fellow agent and, from the aggressive way Kate moved, she had the same idea. Thankfully, Tony had started to stir even before they’d gotten cuffs on the guy. It was only now, hours later, when he could observe Tony sleeping normally, that Gibbs felt a knot in his stomach begin to relax.

“What am I gonna do with you?” Jethro whispered softly. He didn’t know, though, if he was referring to himself or to DiNozzo.

With one last look, Gibbs turned and left. From the way Tony’d been looking lately, he needed the sleep and Jethro didn’t want to disturb him. Besides, if he stayed much longer, the temptation to go and kiss him would be too much for even his formidable will.

It was better that he leave before he made a fool of himself.

Gibbs passed the nurse as he left and gave her a casual salute. She nodded in return and Jethro departed with a lighter heart. Obviously, he was leaving Tony in good hands.  
________________________________________

“It’s for your own good, you know.”

Tony opened bleary eyes to look at the person who’d spoken to him. The elevator had been empty when he’d entered and he hadn’t even noticed it stop to let anyone else on. That wasn’t a good sign, but he was too tired at the moment to care. Sleeping in a hospital was nigh on impossible and what little shut-eye he’d gotten had been plagued by a dream that left him haunted with yearning….

Abby looked at him in concern. “Tony, you okay?”

DiNozzo bit back a laugh, knowing it would hurt Abby’s feelings. Let’s see, he’d disappointed Gibbs yet again; gotten whacked in the head by a bad guy; spent the night in the hospital where he’d been plagued by dreams of Gibbs just standing there and looking at him tenderly; and spent the morning – the very early morning – getting an MRI. At least his headache was better. He’d refused medication at the hospital, figuring he’d pick up some aspirin on the way to work. Just his luck that the only thing the convenience store he’d stopped at had in stock was the children’s kind. Half a bottle later, the throb had finally receded.

And he still had that reaming coming from Gibbs to look forward to. No, in short, it was not his best day ever.

“I’m alive, Abs,” Tony said, waving his hand vaguely. “Anything else is open for discussion.”

Abby’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him. Tony didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t for her to reach over and flip the emergency stop switch. The elevator lurched to a halt.

“What’s wrong with you?” She asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

Tony rubbed his forehead. “I think that would be obvious. Or is the office gossip being particularly slow today?”

“I’m not talking about the bump on the back head,” Abby said. “I’m talking about the way you’ve been all Nazi lately.”  
“Excuse me?” DiNozzo asked, too tired to come up with a pithy response.

“You used to be all, you know, Tony-like and now you’re being all uber-agent Nazi guy. No time to joke, no time to be friends,” Abby explained. “It’s like you went from being the Fonz to being Mr. Cunningham and that just sucks.”

“I’m just trying to do my job, Abby,” Tony said, a little hurt. “Gibbs doesn’t need the Fonz; he needs somebody who’ll get the job done.”

Abby shook her head so hard that her ponytails bobbed. “You got the job done before, but with style. Now it’s like I’m expecting a letter sweater and argyle sox. And I’m not the only one who’s worried, so are Ducky and Kate.”

“Yeah, I know,” Tony admitted. “But Gibbs, you don’t hear him complaining, do you?”

“I dunno, Tony,” Abby said. “Gibbs, he’s da bomb. He may be all gruff and puff and blow your house down, but when it comes to his people, he’s a real Papa Bear. I bet he’s worried too.”

“That’s one bet you’d lose,” Tony said firmly. Ignoring her murmur of protest, he reached over and flipped back the emergency stop switch, causing the elevator to move again.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” his companion said, her frown deepening. “You don’t know yet, do you?”

“Know what, Abby?” DiNozzo asked, unable to keep the weariness from his voice.

Just then, the elevator arrived at his floor and the doors opened. Abby gestured for him to get out and he did, turning to her with raised eyebrows.

“What don’t I know, Abby?” He asked again.

She giggled and waved as the doors shut behind him. “You’ll find out. Bye.”

Tony sighed and tipped his head back, rolling his shoulders and trying to get the tension out of them. Fortified, he turned and faced the office but, to his surprise, Gibbs and Kate weren’t there. In fact, of the people he normally worked with, the only one in sight was McGee - who was sitting at Tony’s desk. Looking up, Tim spied DiNozzo and, even as far away as he was, Tony could see the junior agent’s Adam’s apple bob as the younger man visibly gulped.  
DiNozzo began to get a very bad feeling….  
________________________________________

Gibbs had given up on sleep hours ago. He'd made his bed with his usual military precision before getting dressed and going downstairs. Adhering to a routine drummed into him decades ago, he left behind bed linens that were taut enough that a quarter could be bounced off them, although what he really wanted bouncing on his sheets was a certain Anthony DiNozzo.

Damn Tom Morrow, anyway, for putting ideas into his head.

Jethro was too honest to blame the director for long, though. Truth was, he'd wanted Tony for a long time. According to the deep ache in his body, a really long time.

As he always did when he was troubled, Gibbs soon found himself in his basement, where he kept the skeleton of his boat-in-progress. While he worked on the wood, the boat literally taking shape under his hands, Gibbs mentally chewed on the problem of Tony.

In a way, it would have been easier if Tony was a woman. After three marriages, Gibbs knew what to expect from women, despite the reputation of the feminine mystique. You met, you flirted a little, you flirted a whole lot more, you married, and then reality set in. If there was one thing Jethro and each of his ex-wives agreed with, it was that the inevitable destruction of their relationship was entirely his fault. Shannon was his fault because he hadn’t been home to protect her or their daughter. His second wife had been unfaithful - and it was Gibbs' fault because he was a bastard and was away at sea too long. His third wife came after him with a golf club - and it was Gibbs' fault because he was being his usual, bastard self and wouldn’t cover up her blunder on a case they were working on. His fourth wife was driven to drink - because Jethro was a bastard and loved his job too much to give it up when she’d demanded it of him. It was a definite pattern and one Gibbs had come to expect. Was comfortable with, even.

Tony, though... Tony broke all the patterns.

There'd been no flirtation, only instant acceptance. Tony had absorbed all of Gibbs' bad moods and somehow worked around them. Tony'd been on Gibbs' team and a part of his life for over two years - twice the duration of any of Jethro's broken marriages. He'd, in his own glib DiNozzo way, had acknowledged that Gibbs was a bastard and accepted it, without ever condemning him for it.

And, true to form, Gibbs had ruined that, pushing beyond even Tony's ability to cope.

Unlike his ex-wives, however, Tony had not blamed Gibbs. No, he'd internalized Jethro's obsession with Ari and taken Gibbs' harsh words too much to heart, assuming all the blame. Gibbs had seen it happening, but failed to act on it quickly enough, assuming that it was a temporary condition. What Jethro had not accounted for was DiNozzo's seriousness about the situation and contemplating that was what currently had Gibbs' gut in too much of a knot to sleep.  
Because if Tony cared that much about what Gibbs thought of him... had Jethro been letting Rule #12 keep them apart for too long?

A bell rang and, for a moment, Gibbs thought it was a sign. When it rang again, however, he realized it was his telephone. Wiping his hands, he crossed the room to answer it.

"Gibbs." He said succinctly.

"Jethro, I thought I should warn you," Ducky's voice came across the line. "You need to watch out for inclement weather. Hurricane Anthony is on his way even as we speak."

Feeling guilty, Gibbs looked out the small basement window. Sure enough, it was light outside and, from the quality of the sunshine, had been daylight a good while. Damn, he'd meant to get to the hospital much earlier than this, but had gotten caught up in his thoughts and lost track of time. Thinking about Tony, he'd come to realize, tended to do that to him.

"I take it he discovered that he's locked out of his computer?" He asked Ducky.

"Yes and he's not happy about it," the medical examiner explained. "I've instructed Abby to take Agent McGee out and get him some hot tea to calm his nerves."

Gibbs almost felt sorry for McGee. The younger agent was still very green and having an angry, insistent DiNozzo in his face would not have been easy for him to take. Unfortunately for McGee, if he had done what Tony probably had demanded of him, he'd have had an even angrier Gibbs in his face. A rock and a hard place, but something McGee would have to learn to live with.

"She'll probably need to take him home so he can change into a clean pair of shorts," Jethro said, grinning in spite of the situation.

"Jethro, be nice." Ducky chided him. "The boy is so new that he practically squeaks."

That was the problem, although Gibbs didn't point that out to Ducky.

"Thanks for the warning, Duck." Gibbs couldn't help but adding a question. "How did Tony look? Did staying in the hospital do him any good?"

"I'm afraid I couldn't tell you," Mallard responded. "Tony was here and gone rather quickly. So quickly that I didn't even see him. I only found out about the incident a few moments ago. If he truly was as angry as Timothy implied.... well, it wouldn't be good for him."

Gibbs heard the door upstairs open and then slam shut with such force that it rocked the whole house. "GIBBS!"

"Ah, it appears that your storm has blown in," Ducky said. Tony’s shout must have been loud enough that he heard it over the phone. "Jethro, be careful - ...."

Ducky's voice cut off as Gibbs hung up. Throwing the phone carelessly to the side, he made his way to the staircase and ran up the steps. He was within sight of his front door in seconds flat and found Tony in his living room, pacing. The younger man’s face was pale, making his eyes seem to burn that much more brightly. Jethro had missed the light that always seemed to twinkle in Tony’s eyes, but this wasn’t it. This was harder, more like an ember using up the last of its energy before burning out.

“How dare you?” Tony growled, stopping his pacing as he caught sight of Gibbs.

Jethro made himself walk nonchalantly over to the window and look outside. Tony’s car was parked haphazardly in the driveway. “I thought I told you to call from the hospital and someone would pick you up?”

“I had the damn MRI; the morning shift at the hospital starts really early,” Tony said sarcastically. “It showed exactly what I expected it to show – I’m fine. And, yes, I took a cab from the hospital, so sue me. Why the hell am I locked out of my computer?”

“If you’d done like I told you to do and called somebody, you’d already know that,” Gibbs said calmly. “You’re on medical leave. Two weeks.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Boss, I’m fine. I can handle it; I don’t need two weeks off.”

“Too bad,” Gibbs said, without sympathy. “Because you’ve got two weeks off. Deal with it.”

DiNozzo looked at Gibbs, as though analyzing his superior’s mood. “Look, if you just let me into my computer, I can at least work on that terrorist matrix problem at home,” Tony negotiated. “That way, I won’t be totally unproductive.”

“What part of ‘no work for two weeks’ do you not understand?” Gibbs asked. He softened a bit as he saw the frustration in the younger man’s face. “It’s not just you, Tony. Kate’s out on a medical leave too.”

“For two weeks?” Tony challenged. He crossed his arms across his chest and glared at Gibbs.

Jethro was actually glad to see the anger. Like women, anger was something he understood and could deal with. All he had to do was keep Tony from running, which was DiNozzo’s usual response to emotional scenes.

“One week,” Gibbs answered calmly.

“Ha!” Tony threw up his arms in disgust. “Look, Boss, I’m not some hothouse delicate blossom. There’s no way I need a two week medical leave, especially if Kate only has to be out for half that long.”

Jethro pulled himself to his full height and stiffly walked over to Tony, standing so that he was clearly in the younger man’s personal space. “I was given a two week leave too. Do you consider me a delicate blossom, Agent DiNozzo?”

Tony visibly deflated and stepped back a pace, asking, “You did?”

Gibbs growled.

“No, Boss, you’re not a delicate blossom.” Tony hurriedly said, after making an audible gulp.

“Good, glad we have that settled.” Gibbs turned and started walking towards the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“Sure.”

“How’s the head, need any aspirin?” Jethro asked as they walked.

“No, I’m good.”

Tony seemed a little confused at the turn of events, but followed Gibbs anyway. Jethro could feel the younger man’s eyes on him as he poured two mugs of coffee from his perpetually percolating machine. Using Ducky’s hurricane comparison from earlier, Gibbs had a feeling they were in the eye of the storm. Hurricane Anthony hadn’t blown himself out, not by a long shot.

Silently, Gibbs handed Tony a mug, which the other man took just as quietly. Jethro took a sip of his own hot brew to fortify himself; from the look on Tony’s face, the conversation wasn’t over yet.

“Why?” DiNozzo finally asked.

Jethro shrugged and contemplated his coffee. “I dunno. It’s hot and it’s bitter, which I’m told suits me.”

Tony set his mug down on the counter hard enough to slosh some of the hot liquid over its sides. “I’m not talking about the coffee and you damn well know it, Boss. Why the medical leaves for all of us, especially you?”

Gibbs leaned against the counter and tried to come up with words that wouldn’t send Tony deeper into a spiral of self recrimination.

“Our job, it runs hot and cold,” he said slowly. “You’ve got to pace yourself and, for the last few months, our team has been going in an all-out sprint. Director Morrow needs us in prime condition, physically and mentally, so we’re at the top of our game.”

Gibbs was well aware of the hypocrisy of his words. He went beyond obsessing with his work. The only difference between him and Tony was that his Marine training had taught him to respect his own limitations. Seeing Gibbs-like behavior coming from DiNozzo… it had been a revelation and not a pleasant one at that.

“I sure wasn’t in top form last night, letting that jerk get the drop on me,” Tony said bitterly. “But it’s not fair to punish you and Kate just because I screwed up.”

“It’s not a punishment, DiNozzo,” Gibbs retorted. “And you didn’t screw up. No one knew there was a second perp.”  
Tony shrugged and looked away.

Gibbs tried again. “If there was any mistake, it was that you were out there when you were too tired in the first place. That was my fault. I should have pulled you off that matrix project of yours when it started interfering.”

“The matrix project is important, you said so yourself,” Tony insisted. “We’re at war and NCIS is on the job until you say we aren’t. If that means I lose a little sleep pushing to get the assignment done, that’s just what I have to do.”

“That’s what the medical leave is all about, DiNozzo,” Gibbs said, beginning to run out of patience. “I’m telling you that you’re off the job.”

His words obviously hit Tony hard. “Off the job?” He whispered hoarsely. “Just for now, right?”

“Just for now, yeah.” Jethro reassured him. “Just for two weeks.”

Gibbs felt about two inches tall. This was not working. No matter how he tried to reassure Tony, he kept making things worse. All he really wanted to do was hug Tony and kiss the confusion right out of his eyes. He couldn’t figure out why DiNozzo was having such a hard time believing that it was okay to cut himself some slack, but had a feeling that Papa and Mama DiNozzo might be to blame. Of course, working for a bastard didn’t help any either.

“Listen up, DiNozzo, ‘cause I’m going to do something I normally don’t do – I’m going to explain myself.” Gibbs tried a smile, hoping that a lighter mood might help. “Tell Kate about this and I’ll deny it ever happened.”

His attempt at a joke fell flat. Tony just looked at him with wide, serious eyes.

Gibbs bit his cheek to keep from sighing and plowed on with his explanation. “A couple of months ago, when I lit into you and said those things to you about war and being on the job, we had a hot case. We didn’t know this Ari bastard was undercover. We thought he was a terrorist that we had let through our fingers, free to attack the United States in whatever way he wanted. That’s why I was riding your ass. Not because you’re not good at your job. Not because you don’t work your ass off when I need you to. The only reason I reacted the way I did was because you didn’t realize it was a hot case. Am I making myself clear?”

Tony had gotten steadily paler as Gibbs spoke. Jethro tried again.

“You have to pace yourself, DiNozzo,” Gibbs explained. “Don’t work yourself into the ground when there’s no need.  
Otherwise, you won’t be fresh when there is a need.”

When Tony just looked at him, Gibbs asked, “Got it?”

DiNozzo nodded. “Yeah. Once again, I’ve screwed up.”

Gibbs frowned. It was one step forward and two steps back with him. “I wouldn’t call it screwing up, Tony.”

“Yeah, well, I would,” DiNozzo barked back, showing another flare of temper. “Every time I think I have you figured out, you throw me a curve ball. I think we work great together as a team and you bring in Kate. I get used to knowing I’m doing a good job only when you don’t snap at me - because it would kill you to give me a compliment - and we meet Stan Burley. You all but drool all over him, like he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. Then, when I go missing and get myself and one of your precious Marines out of that sewer prison all by myself using your Marine rules, I find out that not only are your rules a bogus pile of shit, but that you would have been happy to replace me with McGee.”

Jethro couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Tony, apparently, had been bottling up more than just an overreaction to a lecture about his work ethic.

“And then, then when I finally think I’ve figured out what will make you happy and turn myself inside out trying to be the type of agent you want, you say I’m not pacing myself.” Tony abruptly ran out of steam, voice lowering from the near-shout it had become to a hoarse whisper. “Just tell me what you want, Boss.”

Greatly daring, Gibbs put a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. This type of thing normally stuck in his throat, but in the face of Tony’s pain, words came easily.

“Agent DiNozzo,” he said formally. “If I have ever given you any reason to think your contributions to this team are not appreciated, I apologize. If anything I’ve said or done has made you think you’re not valued, then I apologize again, because exactly the opposite is true.”

“Yeah, right,” Tony snorted, looking down at his hands.

“Maybe you’ve compared yourself to Stan, but I never would,” Gibbs clarified. “Hell, Burley’s previous experience as a senator’s aide may sound impressive, but what it really meant that he had more experience on paper than he did on the street. He’s come a long way and he’s a decent NCIS agent, but he’ll never have your instincts, no matter how long he’s in NCIS. And, as for Kate, she’s a fast learner, but she has a hard time distancing herself the way she needs to. You, you’re intuitive and you can think outside the box while still seeing the whole picture. That’s a rare combination.”  
Tony didn’t say anything and Gibbs got nervous. “You hearin’ me, DiNozzo?”

“Yeah, Boss,” the younger man said, lifting his head to look Gibbs in the eye. “You still didn’t say what you want from me, though.”

Gibbs resisted the urge to slap the backside of DiNozzo’s head. “I want what I always want from you, Tony. Your best.”  
DiNozzo’s eyes narrowed. “And how am I supposed to tell when a case is hot or not?”

Jethro was glad to see the other man’s posture start relax a little. The answer to Tony’s question, however, was obvious to Gibbs and Gibbs allowed himself a smirk as he lifted his coffee mug for another sip. “That’s easy, DiNozzo. I’ll tell you when a case is hot.”

As he drank, Jethro watched Tony. There was a measure of calm in Tony’s eyes, but not enough to totally trust that Gibbs had managed to convince him of anything. In fact, Tony seemed to still be chewing on something. He’d look at Gibbs under his eyelashes and quickly look away. The furtive movement was getting on Gibbs’ nerves, even before he’d had time to finish half of his drink.

“What?” Gibbs asked. “Something’s still bothering you, DiNozzo. Out with it.”

Tony squared his shoulders. “Why? Why are you harder on me than the rest of them? And don’t say that you aren’t because you are and we both know it.”

“I am not,” Gibbs denied, hotly.

“Yes, you are,” DiNozzo retorted, beginning to get angry again. “Kate gets too emotionally attached to that amnesia victim, Suzanne McNeil, and you don’t say anything.”

“Kate was beating up on herself enough the way it was - ….” Jethro started to explain but Tony cut him off.  
“And that ensign who thought he was immortal, the one that committed suicide and almost blew up his skipper, Kate refused to consider suicide because the guy was Catholic and it was a mortal sin,” Tony pointed out. “If I would have made that kind of rookie mistake, you would have ripped my head off and handed it to me on a silver platter, but all she got a slap on the wrist – and not even a hard one at that.”

“Yeah, but - ….”

“And McGee! The man is good with a computer, but so green in the field that he looks and acts like lime Jell-O and you rub his damn head to tell him he’d done a good job. All I get is a smack in the head!” DiNozzo wasn’t far from yelling. “Not to mention Stan Burley. Maybe I should say Saint Stan, the way you were all but falling at his feet worshipping him.”

Gibbs hadn’t been trying too hard to break into Tony’s tirade, figuring the other man needed to let off steam. As DiNozzo got carried away, however, Jethro began to get angry himself. DiNozzo wasn’t the only man in the room that was tired – Gibbs hadn’t slept much the night before, either. Before that, there had been weeks of stewing over what was going on with Tony, not to mention having already just navigated one conversation with Tony that had made him feel like he was tiptoeing through land mines. The senior agent was just about at the end of his rope.

“Let’s not forget Abby, she gets to play ear-bleeding music all the time, but if I play one game on my computer, you threaten to pierce my ears. Ducky gets to tell all sorts of off-the-wall stories and that’s just fine, but if I make a comment you think’s out of line, I get a whack on back of the head.” By this time, Tony was jabbing a finger at Gibbs with each comment. “What is it? Why is there one set of rules for everybody else and another set for me?”

“Because I’m in love with you, Bonehead,” Gibbs growled back. “And when you get a promotion, which you will because you are damn good at your job no matter what you think, I don’t want anybody out there to say it was because I took it easier on you because I had the hots for you.”

It was the silence that made Gibbs realize he’d said that out loud.

“Aw, hell,” he said.

“You’re in love?” Tony asked, a squeak in his voice. “With me?”

“Yeah.” The truth of it was plain enough that Gibbs didn’t need to say anything else.

Preferring to meet challenges head-on, Gibbs looked squarely at Tony. DiNozzo’s eyes looked dazed and he was silent, which was never a good sign. Just when Jethro was beginning to think he’d need to make a comment, Tony seemed to shake it off. As he walked towards Gibbs slowly and deliberately, almost a prowl, something in DiNozzo’s face told Jethro he’d better keep his mouth shut. So, he didn’t say anything as Tony gently took the coffee mug from him and carefully set it on the counter. Jethro braced himself to be hit, but instead, a warm hand cupped each side of his face. Tony stared at him intently and Gibbs did his best to will all the love he had for the other man to show in his eyes.

He hadn’t decided yet about telling Tony how he felt about him but, now that it had slipped out, Gibbs was determined to see it all the way through. Everything Jethro knew about Tony was telling him that, if he messed up this conversation, then DiNozzo was gone. That was a circumstance that Jethro couldn’t allow to happen - not if he wanted to keep his sanity.

Tony looked into Gibbs’ eyes for several heartbeats before dropping his hands and stepping back.

“You bastard,” DiNozzo said in a tired and emotionless voice. “You’re not pulling a joke. You really do love me.”

“Tony….” Gibbs reached out a hand to DiNozzo, but the other man ignored it.

“You’re in love with me and you never said anything. I’ve loved you forever, but I thought you barely even liked me.” Tony continued in that flat tone and then his voice cracked as he added, “If you loved me, why did you make me think that?”  
Gibbs rubbed the side of his face. “Rule #12….”

“Is a pile of crap and you know it.” More emotion had crept into Tony’s voice. “Down in the sewer, Atlas told me there were no such rules.”

“In the Marines, no,” Gibbs admitted and then went on to add, “In my book, yes.”

Tony shook his head. “Why?”

The younger man seemed to be asking ‘why’ a lot. Not too unusual, since Tony had enough natural curiosity for a whole litter of cats. More surprising, considering he was a man who hated giving explanations, Jethro felt compelled to answer.

“Wife #2,” Gibbs said, “Was NCIS and you know how that turned out; she came after me with a seven iron. Relationships between agents just don’t work out, no matter how much I might want otherwise.”

Tony just looked at him and Gibbs prepared himself for anything - for Tony to hit him or, what was more likely, for him to walk out. Instead, the younger man swooped forward and grabbed the front of Jethro’s shirt, stretching the knit fabric badly as he used it to pull Gibbs closer. Gibbs steeled himself for a blow, but refused to flinch. Tony deserved that much, at the very least.

Instead of Tony’s fist coming down on him, however, Gibbs found himself being kissed. Tentative, awkward, and almost chaste, but it was still a kiss. Shock kept him still initially, but as he got his first taste of Tony, his hands came around to pull DiNozzo close. By the time their lips pulled apart, Tony was straddling Gibbs’ outthrust knee.

DiNozzo leaned forward and bumped heads with Jethro. “Funny, but golf’s the one sport I was never any good at. I don’t even own a seven iron.”

Gibbs’ hands rested on Tony’s hips, steadying the other man without pinning him. DiNozzo’s warm weight was welcome next to him, but he didn’t want Tony to feel trapped. It would kill him if Tony wanted to leave, but it had to be DiNozzo’s choice.

“I think we’ve already established that I’m a bastard,” he warned.

Tony grinned impishly. “That’s okay, I like you that way.”

Jethro found himself grinning back. There it was, that twinkle in Tony’s eyes. He’d missed that, missed it a lot. He risked moving his hands to the small of Tony’s back. The other agent was wearing the dress shirt and suit jacket from being on the job the night before, but Gibbs could still feel the boniness of Tony’s spine through the layers of cloth. Damn, but DiNozzo had lost a lot of weight. Remembering why sobered Gibbs immediately.

“It won’t be easy,” Jethro cautioned. “The way I was with the Ari case, it can happen again. Ask Wife #3. I don’t want to put you through that a second time… or a third.”

Tony seriously considered Gibbs’ words. “It’ll be okay. As long as I know you love me, I can take it. It was the not knowing… the believing you really did think I wasn’t doing my job that got to me. Now that I know, I won’t take it personally.”

Gibbs shook his head, but even as he voiced another doubt, his hands were tightening their grip on Tony’s hips. “You sure? You just put yourself through hell because of something I said; feels like you’re forgiving me awfully easy here.”

“Why argue with a good thing?” Tony quipped. His smile slid off his face, however, when he saw Jethro’s expression. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to go through that again, but I will if it means being with you.”

“I’m not sure I’m worth it.” Gibbs admitted.

“Take it from me, you are,” Tony disagreed.

Jethro shook his head. “In case you haven’t noticed, relationships aren’t exactly my forte.”

DiNozzo rolled his eyes. “Look, I’ll make you a deal. You messed up and I messed up on this one, so there’s blame to go around. If you promise to try not to use me as an emotional punching bag again, I promise to not take it personally if you slip up and do it anyway.

When Jethro hesitated, Tony upped the ante. “And, if it makes you feel better, since it took so long for you to fess up to loving me, I’ll pout every day we’re together so you have to say it all the time.”

At first Gibbs wasn’t so sure, but a good look in Tony’s eyes was all that it took to convince him. It was awe-inspiring and a little daunting, to have another human being look at him like that. He realized that he could snuff out the twinkle in DiNozzo’s eyes like blowing out a candle. The part of him that had been lonely for as long as he could remember, even when he was married, couldn’t deny that look. Besides, Tony’d worked for him for two years and, if the last couple of months hadn’t scared him off, then nothing would. 

Jethro leaned over and kissed Tony, liking how DiNozzo laughed even while their lips were locked together. It was a sound of relief and, hopefully, a harbinger of things to come.

“C’mon, let’s go somewhere more comfortable,” Gibbs said when the kiss ended with a playful nip to Tony’s nose. “I’m too old to making out in the kitchen like a teenager.”

“You’re only as old as you feel,” DiNozzo said as he pried himself off of the other agent and stepped back, running an appreciative hand along Gibbs’ arm. “And you don’t feel old.”

Jethro grinned at the bad joke and heavy-handed flirting. His Tony was back. “I’ll show you old when I get you into bed.”  
Tony grinned widely but then got a funny expression on his face as his grin widened into a jaw-popping yawn. He blushed with embarrassment as Gibbs laughed. “Oops. I didn’t mean that, really.”

“Yes, you did,” Gibbs retorted. “I didn’t get much sleep last night, either. When I said I wanted to get you to bed, I meant to sleep. You can use beds for sleeping, you know.”

“So I’ve heard,” Tony said.

Gibbs wrapped an arm around the younger man’s waist and shivered when he felt the warmth of Tony’s hip bump into his own. “I really do love you, you know.”

Tony looked at him shyly. “Say that enough and I might just believe you.”

Jethro growled, but it was far from a threatening sound. “Yeah, well, if we catch up on our sleep, I just might prove it to you.”

“Promises, promises.”

Although Tony said the words flippantly, they both knew that Gibbs was a man of his word. It was just a matter of when Jethro would be able to keep it.  
________________________________________

Jethro Gibbs shuffled into his bathroom and turned on the light over the medicine cabinet, not wanting to use the overhead one because it might wake Tony. Idly, he scratched his chest as he yawned. He was used to working odd hours, so it wasn’t the fact that it was the middle of the afternoon that woke him. It was the odd sensation of having another body in his bed; it was almost a shame to waste the experience by sleeping.

Opening the cabinet, Jethro rooted around as quietly as he could until he found the familiar bottle he wanted. He left it out on the counter where it could be easily seen. Tony might claim his headache was gone, but Gibbs wasn’t so sure. It was a fair bet DiNozzo would need aspirin later on and Jethro figured it was a good idea to leave it out where Tony could easily find it.

As Gibbs started to close the cabinet, its mirrored surface caught his attention and he stopped. The man who stared back at him had an uncharacteristic wide-eyed look of wonder on his face – and well he should.

“You bastard,” he said to himself softly as he stared into his reflection. He’d been too hard on Tony and then, even after he realized that DiNozzo was taking his words the wrong way, still Gibbs had done nothing to correct the problem. The fact was, he didn’t deserve the young man currently in his bed, any more than he was worthy of the love Tony so freely offered. Or the forgiveness that had been so easily bestowed.

With any luck, Tony’s natural resilience would help him bounce back from having Gibbs almost successfully, if inadvertently, subvert his confidence. Jethro would help where he could, starting with feeding DiNozzo until he put meat back onto his bones. After that, he was determined to stick by Tony’s side as long as Tony wanted him there. As for Rule #12, they’d work something out. Perhaps there needed to be a new rule. A Rule #12a – no romantic relationship with another NCIS agent unless that agent was Anthony DiNozzo.

“Works for me,” Gibbs said quietly to himself.

He angled the medicine cabinet door until a view of his bed was captured in the mirror’s reflection. Tony was sprawled across Gibbs’ mattress, gloriously naked and on his stomach. A sheet draped over one buttock and leg, the crisp white of the bed linen contrasting nicely with the hue of Tony’s skin, golden in the bright afternoon sunlight peeking through the crack in the drapes. All they had done was sleep, but Gibbs had blithely forgotten that Tony preferred to sleep in the nude. That fact had all but undone the plan that was half-forming in the back of his mind. The two men had done some gentle kissing after crawling into bed, the way Tony fell asleep in the middle of it showing just how worn out he was.

“You are one lucky bastard,” Gibbs clarified to himself as he shut the cabinet door. His reflection seemed to agree, nodding at him solemnly.

Turning the light out, Gibbs padded back into the other room. What was he doing talking to a specter in polished glass, anyway, when a warm, live Tony DiNozzo was in his bed?

The mirror, left behind without a backward glance, was blessedly silent.  
________________________________________

Tony was awakened by a tickling sensation that was centered on his nose. Before his eyes were more than half open or his groggy mind remembered where he was, he sneezed.

“Gesundheit.”

Gibbs’ voice sounded a hell of a lot more awake than Tony felt. Cracking his eyelids open, DiNozzo got a close-up look of a bare chest covered with a thicket of silvered hair.

It wasn’t a dream. He was in Gibbs’ bed. With a muffled moan, he hid his face against Gibbs’ warm chest.

“You even think about wiping your nose and there’ll be hell to pay.”

Tony stiffened. Sure, he was familiar with Gibbs’ gruff tone but, after the last few months, couldn’t shrug it off as easily as he used to. His bedmate apparently noticed his unease. Large, callused hands started a soothing stroking up and down his back, helping Tony relax. Once he did, he realized that Gibbs’ words had lacked the tenseness that would indicate the older man was truly mad. Besides, the touch of his hands, which had dipped to caress the bare skin of Tony’s ass, was too gentle to be the action of an angry man.

Wait a minute… bare skin of his ass?

Fear woke Tony the rest of the way up. With bated breath, he gingerly lifted the blanket covering them both and peeked underneath.

Damn.

With another moan, he buried his face against Gibbs’ chest again. Even as he did, however, Gibbs laughed, causing Tony’s safe haven to shake. DiNozzo sighed and lifted his head to meet Gibbs’ gaze.

“Sorry, Boss.” He said sheepishly. “I must have been on autopilot when we went to bed; I always sleep in my birthday suit.”  
Gibbs’ hold on him tightened. “DiNozzo, does it look like I’m complaining?”

Tony peered intently at the other man’s face. Gibbs’ expression was unusually open, letting Tony see his frank appreciation. There wasn’t even a hint of complaint or disapproval.

“No, you’re not complaining,” DiNozzo said with satisfaction. Seeing Gibbs’ smile at his words, Tony gained confidence. Greatly daring, he trailed a hand up the bare skin of Gibbs’ chest. He smiled in delight when the older man’s body arched into his touch. His hand continued its journey up the length of Gibbs’ neck, finally burying itself in the short length of silver hair at the nape of Jethro’s neck.

While his hand explored, Tony’s eyes never left Gibbs’. There continued to be no disapproval in the other man’s gaze, only the darkening of desire as Gibbs’ pupils dilated. Seeing that reaction, Tony’s smile widened and he leaned closer for a kiss.

At first, Gibbs kissed like he did most everything else – with assertive control. As their lips continued to press together and their tongues twined, however, Tony took it as a personal victory when that control began to falter. Tony pulled back just enough to nip at the lips trying to devour him and Gibbs growled. The other man left one hand clenching Tony’s ass and brought the other up to firmly cup the back of DiNozzo’s head. Tony laughed as best he could with his mouth full of Gibbs’ tongue.

Gibbs growled again and, with the wily nature that made him so good at his job, rolled the two of them. Tony yelped in surprise and hung on. He soon found himself flat on his back with Gibbs above him, grinning wolfishly as he pressed Tony’s body against the mattress. The hardness of Gibbs’ groin tented the older man’s boxers, the soft fabric doing little to shield Tony from the heat of Gibbs’ erection.

The two men realized at about the same moment that, while Jethro was hard as a rock, Tony was not.

Tony’s smile slid away and he twisted his head to the side. “Sorry, Boss.”

Gibbs grabbed Tony’s face and made the other man look at him. “Hey, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”

“The spirit’s willing, God, is it willing,” DiNozzo explained. “It’s just the body….”

“… is overtaxed and stressed,” Gibbs finished for him. Jethro settled by Tony’s side and wrapped his arms around the distressed man. “That’s another reason for pacing yourself.”

Tony snorted. “Mr. Pot? I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Black.”

Gibbs made an aborted motion but stopped short of smacking Tony in the usual spot. “How’s your head?”

“It’s fine,” Tony claimed. When Gibbs lifted one eyebrow skeptically, he amended his statement. “Okay, I’ve got a little headache, but not much.”

Jethro didn’t contest DiNozzo’s statement – for the moment.

“We each have a two week medical leave,” Gibbs said after a few moments of comfortable silence. “We’re going to follow our orders and use it to recuperate.” He gave Tony a reassuring smile. “I think you’ll find that your, ah, natural enthusiasm will return long before then.”

Tony’s lips twitched. “Those were our orders? Director Morrow wants me to get my groove back?”

“Not in so many words,” Jethro replied loftily. “But that was the general idea.”

“Well, I guess that’s it, then. We all know how you always obey a command.” Tony said. As he looked at Gibbs, his smile softened and, when he next spoke, the flippancy was gone from his voice. “This is your last chance, Boss. You sure you want to do this?”

“Do what?” Jethro asked.

“This,” Tony said, gesturing between them. “Us. If it hasn’t been obvious up until now, I’m a whole lot of trouble. So, if you don’t want to do this, I’ll understand.”

“DiNozzo, you are naked in my bed,” Gibbs pointed out. “We’re already doing this.” He pulled Tony closer. “Now that I have you here, I have no intention of letting you go.”

Tony settled against Gibbs’ sturdy body, resting his chin on Jethro’s shoulder. “You’ll have to let me go sometime, Boss, at least for potty breaks,” he said agreeably. “Otherwise, these sheets are going to get awfully nasty.”

“Tony….”

“An awful lot of trouble,” DiNozzo repeated, pulling back to see the look on the older man’s face.

Gibbs gave Tony one of those lopsided grins that made DiNozzo’s heart skip a beat. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

This time, their kiss was gentle. Even so, as they pulled apart, Tony could feel Gibbs’ arousal poking his thigh. The other man’s erection had waned at first during their conversation, but was now back full force.

“You want me to take care of that?” Tony asked, fingers stretching to release Gibbs’ cock.

To DiNozzo’s surprise, his wrist was grabbed in an iron grip, preventing him from reaching his goal. Confused, Tony looked at his lover.

“I’m a Marine,” Gibbs said in a hoarse voice. “And Marines don’t leave a man behind. I can wait until you’re ready.”

Tony blinked and then smiled as he thought about that statement. Gibbs was willing to wait. He didn’t think any lover he’d had in the past, male or female, would have been willing to do the same. Then again, this was Gibbs he was talking about; the man was beyond any comparisons.

“I won’t make you wait too long,” he promised.

“As long as you need,” Gibbs replied. He kissed Tony again, but before it could get too deep, he broke it off.

“Okay, time to get up,” Gibbs said. When DiNozzo looked at him in disbelief, Jethro smiled brightly and lightly smacked Tony’s ass. “We’ve got two weeks off. We’re not spending them in bed. Up.”

Putting action to words, Gibbs rolled off the mattress and got to his feet. “What?”

”I thought we were going to rest and recuperate?” Tony asked.

“And we are,” Gibbs countered. “Just not in bed. All that’ll get you is fat.” For some reason, Gibbs’ own statement made him frown.

“You’ve got a plan,” Tony said, a hint of triumph in his voice. “What is it?”

Gibbs explained just as much as he did at the office. In other words, not at all.

“You can have the first shower,” he said magnanimously.

After opening a dresser drawer, Gibbs took out some sweats and dressed quickly. When he was done, he looked back at the bed and didn’t seem too pleased to see Tony still there.

“What are you waiting for, DiNozzo?” He asked. “Daylight’s wasting. I’m ordering pizza. If you’re not out of the shower by the time it gets here, don’t expect me to save you any.”

Gibbs bent down and briskly kissed Tony’s open mouth. Then, with a purposeful stride, he was out of the room and down the hall.

Tony only spent a heartbeat on being crabby about the abrupt change in situation; then his natural curiosity kicked in. Feeling alive for the first time in weeks, he threw back the covers and hopped out of bed.

He didn’t know what Gibbs had planned, but something told him he was gonna like it.  
________________________________________

Pizza duly ordered, Gibbs hung up the phone. He cocked his head to the side and listened for a moment. The shower was still going and, knowing Tony, likely would be for a while. That was fine; no matter what he’d said earlier, Jethro had no intention of letting DiNozzo not eat. He couldn’t believe he’d made that crack about how lazing around in bed making you fat. Given how gaunt Tony looked, that was insensitive, even for him.

And, for Gibbs, that was saying a lot.

With a silent promise to himself to do better by his lover and, confident that Tony would safely be kept busy for at least a little while longer, he picked up the phone and dialed again.

Truth be told, Jethro would have relished two weeks spent in bed with Anthony DiNozzo. After what happened last night, though, it probably wasn’t the best thing for Tony. The younger man likely hadn’t experienced a whole lot of – if any – sexual disappointments and Gibbs didn’t know how he would react. He figured it was best to get Tony away from the scene of the crime, so to speak, before DiNozzo fixated on the way his body had let him down.

Gibbs knew what it was like to be too tired and too stressed to perform. The last thing he wanted to do was put more pressure on Tony. He’d already done enough of that lately. Besides, knowing DiNozzo, he’d be revved up and ready to go in no time. So, instead of hanging around the house and potentially brooding, Jethro had decided on something else. Something that would get Tony away and help him relax.

Houses, after all, weren’t the only places that had beds.

On that cheery thought, the phone stopped ringing as someone picked up on the other end of the line and Gibbs grinned at the familiar voice.

“Gabe?” He said after the greeting. “It’s Jethro Gibbs, sir. How are you?”

“Jethro?” The answering voice was also male, but it had the thinness of tone that often came with age. “It’s good to hear from you, boy. Didn’t get shot again, did you? That’s the problem with youngsters nowadays – you don’t know how to duck.”

Gibbs ruefully rubbed his shoulder. “No, sir. I’ve been working on my ducking skills. No one’s been able to hit me in a good or two three months.”

The other man’s sniff was audible through the phone line. “Two or three months? You work too hard, Jethro. Don’t the Marines believe in vacations? Even the Almighty rested on the seventh day.”

Jethro closed his eyes briefly in pain. He’d told Gabe, repeatedly, that he wasn’t in the Marines anymore, but the old man never remembered. The deterioration of memory was inevitable, given Gabe’s age, but still painful.

“Well, sir, that’s actually why I’m calling.” Gibbs said. “I have a couple of weeks coming to me and I’m wondering if Betsy’s available? If the offer’s still open, that is?”

“Of course she is, boy!” Gabe’s enthusiasm was obvious. “Always for you, Jethro. The old gal misses you.”

“The feeling’s mutual, sir.” Gibbs assured him. “I know this is sudden, but would later today be all right?” Tony had arrived mid-morning and they’d napped for a couple of hours. It was early afternoon. They’d really have to hurry to get to the marina by dark but it was doable.

“Oh, that’s fine, that’s fine.” Gabe responded. “I don’t get to take Betsy out much anymore, but she’s always ready to go, especially for you. You want me to call Ben and have him stock her for you?”

“That’d be great, thanks. Except… could you have him lay in enough provisions for two?” Gibbs felt his cheeks get a bit warm.

“Oooh-hoo-hoo,” Gabe cackled. “A little romance, huh, boy?”

“Somethin’ like that, sir.” Jethro said sheepishly.

“Good, good,” his old friend responded. “You’ve been lonely too long, Jethro.”

“I’ve been married more’n once,” Gibbs protested.

“That didn’t stop you from being lonely,” the other man shrewdly pointed out.

Gibbs shook his head, even though he knew that Gabe couldn’t see him through the phone line. The old man knew him too well.

“It’s different this time,” Jethro told his friend. “Trust me, Gabe.”

“I always trust you, boy,” Gabe responded. “Betsy and me, we just want you to be happy.”

Jethro thought of the young man upstairs in his shower.

“Oh, I am happy, Gabe,” he vowed fervently. “I most certainly am.”  
________________________________________

Tony slammed his apartment door behind him. Not because he was angry, but because he was in a big rush. He barely gave the neat-as-a-pin apartment a cursory glance. It looked like something out of a magazine, not his home. The blame for that was on his recent perfection obsession, but even the thought of that ordeal wasn’t enough to deter him from his task.

By the time he’d finished his shower, the pizza had arrived. Much to his frustration, Tony hadn’t been able to wheedle any information from Gibbs about his plans as they ate. And ate. Gibbs had bullied Tony into eating over half a pizza, which was at least one slice more than he really wanted to. DiNozzo had felt about ready to pop, partially from the food and partially from curiosity.

When they’d finally pushed back from the table, Gibbs had given Tony his marching orders.

“Go home,” the older man had said. “Stop your mail and everything like that you need to do, pack, and then get back here.”

“Awwww… Boss,” Tony had protested. “Can’t you at least tell me where we’re going? How am I supposed to pack if I don’t know the destination?”

Gibbs, not too surprisingly, was implacable. “The sooner you get movin’, the sooner you’ll find out.” He’d stopped in the process of cleaning the table long enough to give Tony a quick kiss. To his embarrassment, DiNozzo had found he’d needed the reassurance that Gibbs was just being Gibbs and wasn’t angry with him. “Now get your ass in gear.”

Tony had complained, whined, and come close to pouting, but it had done no good. Finally, he’d given in to the inevitable and simply gone home. If he’d broken most speed limits on the trip there, well, he didn’t get a ticket, so Gibbs wouldn’t find out. Tony figured, the quicker he got home and got done, the quicker he could get back to Gibbs and start their two weeks together.

Working for NCIS, his schedule was always iffy, so he’d quickly learned to have all his bills paid electronically. As for his mail, he’d found renting a PO box was better than having it delivered to his apartment. That way, if they got called out of the country, it wouldn’t overflow.

All he had to worry about was packing, but how did you pack for a destination you didn’t know?

Tony stripped as he approached his closet, grinning as he left the clothes on the floor. It felt good, after a couple of months of unnatural neatness, to be more of his usually sloppy self. He suspected that he and Gibbs would eventually find a compromise, but for now, he could let the clothes fall where they would.

DiNozzo contemplated his situation as he kicked his pants out of the way. It occurred to him that maybe Gibbs wasn’t being his usual close-mouthed self. Maybe there was a reason he wasn’t telling Tony where they were going. Maybe, just maybe, there was a method to his madness.

“All right, you’re on,” he challenged his absent lover.

So, Gibbs wasn’t going to tell him anything? He’d just see what he could figure out, based on his own knowledge of the man.

Tony let his fingers wander through his wardrobe, thinking as he did. He quickly brushed by the suits. Gibbs was not the sort of man to want to go anywhere that dressing up was mandatory. Come to think of it, other than his job, crossword puzzles, and his boat, Tony didn’t really have a clue about what Gibbs did like to do.

Wait a minute… boat.

Grinning, DiNozzo knew exactly what to pack.  
________________________________________

“Ha! I knew there would be a boat!”

At Tony’s crow of triumph, Gibbs shook his head fondly. He’d had a feeling that Tony had seen through his ploy; the way the younger man had chatted all during their drive – about anything but where they were going – was a clear indication that DiNozzo at least thought he’d solved the mystery. It didn’t really matter. Gibbs hadn’t kept quiet as any sort of test, but merely to serve as a distraction. Whatever his reasoning, it had worked. Tony’s eyes were bright and snapping, his whole body thrumming with enthusiasm. In other words, pretty much back to normal.

And, as much as he hated to admit it, Jethro kind of liked the fact that Tony knew him well enough to figure it out.

“Did anybody say it was a competition, DiNozzo?” He asked gruffly as he pulled the sedan into the marina.

Tony just grinned wider.

Gibbs shook his head again, not bothering to hide his own grin. By the time he’d parked the car, Tony was all but vibrating. “Okay, you were right,” Jethro admitted.

“Well, someone did tell me recently that I was good at my job,” Tony said smugly as he got out and grabbed his duffle bag. “Observation and knowing your target are part of it.”

“Uh-huh,” Jethro said, locking the car after retrieving his own bag.

DiNozzo snickered but managed to stay silent as they walked down the dock and approached the boats. When they finally stopped next to one particular slip, he dropped his bag and whistled in appreciation. After looking briefly at Gibbs for confirmation, he approached the big wooden boat deferentially.

“Heavens to Betsy Ross,” he read the ship’s name as he took off his sunglasses. “Patriotic. I like it.”

“I’m glad you approve,” Gibbs said. He’d bent to pick up Tony’s duffle and moved with practiced ease onto the boat. “Coming aboard?”

Tony followed and Gibbs noted with pleasure how the younger man didn’t hesitate. DiNozzo stumbled a bit as he stepped on deck, his lapse in grace showing he wasn’t entirely familiar with boats smaller than an aircraft carrier. At just over 42 feet, Betsy was bigger than a rowboat, but she wasn’t an ocean liner either and had the typical bobbing motion that occurred with vessels of her size.

Tony, uncharacteristically, was hanging back. His eyes wandered constantly, but it was almost as though he’d been admonished to keep his hands to himself, he was being so careful not to touch.

“It’s okay, you can look around,” Jethro assured him.

DiNozzo immediately reached out and stroked the smooth, sleek finish of the nearest wooden rail. “You helped build this, didn’t you?”

Gibbs grinned. Yes, it was good to have a lover that knew him well.

“Yeah. Gabe, the owner, was my parents’ neighbor.” Gibbs said, surprising Tony by actually providing some background information. “Every summer, I worked with Gabe on his ‘ladies.’ He taught me everything I know about boats.”  
“Sounds like a good man,” Tony said quietly.

“He is,” Jethro answered. “I hope to introduce you two someday.”

DiNozzo blinked and then smiled sweetly. “I’d like that.”

Gibbs rewarded that smile with a brief kiss. “You and Betsy get to know each other. If we’re going to push off in the morning, I’ve got some stuff to do.”

“You want some help?”

“Nah,” Jethro shook his head. “I’ll put you to work later. For now, just get used to the boat.”

Gibbs took the bags down the short wooden ladder that led below decks. He stopped and dug a box of Dramamine out of his own bag and set it in an obvious spot in the galley. He’d picked it up at the store along with some other necessities after DiNozzo had gone home to pack, thinking that Tony might need some help being out on the water. After he’d gone to their cabin and tossed the rest of the gear on the bed, he headed back up.

Tony was on his way down. “What kind of boat is this, anyway? I thought it was a sailboat, but looks like the engine’s awfully big for that.”

“It’s a motor sailor,” Jethro explained. “She runs equally well under sail or diesel.”

DiNozzo thought about it a moment and then nodded his head sagely. “Ah. She’s versatile; like a Marine.”

“Exactly,” Gibbs agreed, appreciating the comparison. He kissed Tony again, deeper this time because they were hidden from public view. He felt the younger man lean into it and it was only the necessity of getting chores done that allowed him to pull away. He groaned anyway and DiNozzo gave a throaty chuckle as Gibbs hurried to finish.

His visual check was largely unnecessary, but Gabe had taught Jethro too well to take anything for granted. As Betsy’s skipper during this outing, Gibbs was in charge. With both the welfare of his lover and his boat at stake, Jethro was especially careful. Even so, Gabe had everything kept in such ship-shape that it only took a few moments. He was already on his way back down when Tony’s shout caused him to hurry.

“Gibbs!”

Jethro clattered down the ladder, halfway expecting Tony’s macho pride to make him upset about the motion sickness medicine. Instead, however, DiNozzo was holding up a jar of… spaghetti sauce?

“What?” Gibbs asked.

“Gibbs, my last name is DiNozzo,” Tony said stiffly. “In what universe do you think I would eat spaghetti sauce from a jar?”  
The older man relaxed internally. “Tony, look around. Betsy’s a good size boat, but she’s no Pacific Princess.”

“So?” Tony asked testily.

Gibbs explained. “The galley’s only so big, DiNozzo. Not a lot of room for cooking.”

“Oh,” DiNozzo said, glancing around Betsy’s interior. It was cozy, certainly cozier than an apartment, not leaving a lot of room for a spacious cooking area. “I see what you mean. You’re forgiven – as long as you don’t tell anyone that I actually ate Ragu.”

“My lips are sealed,” Jethro promised. “As long as you promise to make me your special spaghetti sauce when we get back in town.”

Tony set the jar down with a thump. “You’re awfully sure that I have a special spaghetti sauce.”

“You said it yourself, your name is DiNozzo,” Gibbs said affably.

Issue closed, Jethro moved up to the forward part of the ship, where the master cabin was located. When he noticed that Tony was following, he started explaining as he went.

“A boat’s not like an apartment, DiNozzo.” He said. “Space is at a premium, so it’s important that everything’s stowed in its place.”

He glanced at Tony and was met with a confident smile.

“Not a problem,” DiNozzo said boldly. “I’ve had lots of practice being neat lately.”

Jethro grunted and continued the tour. “Head’s in the bow, engine room’s accessible through the hatch in the guest cabin. Pilot house is up top and weather radios are located there and in the galley.” He turned long enough to grin at his companion. “And you already know where the galley is.”

By this time, they were in the master cabin. While Tony took a minute to admire the clean lines of the navy-colored bed covering and the classic style of the built-in bureau, Gibbs had moved to their duffle bags and started unpacking his own.  
“Rules are simple.” Jethro said as he worked. “I’m the skipper, so my word is law.”

Tony quipped, “In other words, it’s just like at the office.”

“Not really,” Gibbs disagreed. “Here, if you so much as whistle anything about a ‘three hour tour,’ you’ll be swimming home.”

DiNozzo grinned, but didn’t verbally acknowledge the threat. “I’ve done a little bit of sailing. Been awhile, though.”  
“Good,” Gibbs nodded. “We’ll go over what you remember tomorrow.”

Tony sighed and turned to his own bag. He lifted out the first layer of clothes and followed Gibbs’ example on where to stow them. Jethro grinned at seeing his underwear in the same drawer as DiNozzo’s. He had no worries about getting them mixed up. The plain white boxers were easily distinguishable from Tony’s more colorful fare.

Soon, Jethro’s usual efficiency meant that his bag was empty of everything… everything except two items. Feeling himself blush, Gibbs pulled out the box of condoms and tube of lubricant and set them tentatively on the bed. He was just too old-fashioned to take this kind of thing cavalierly.

“So, Boss, where do you want these?”

Gibbs looked up to see Tony holding a tube of lubricant in one hand and a box of condoms in another. When the younger man saw that Gibbs had just unpacked the same, he grinned and waggled his eyebrows.

“So, I guess we’re prepared,” DiNozzo said cheekily.

“I guess we are,” Jethro shrugged, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Tony shuffled his feet, suddenly shy. “About what we’re so extravagantly prepared for….”

“Yeah?” Gibbs prompted.

“You willin’ to wait just a little bit longer?”

The good thing about the cozy quarters was that Gibbs could be at Tony’s side in just a step or two. “As long as you need, Tony.”

“It’s not that I need to, really.” DiNozzo shrugged. “It’s just that, everyone else I’ve dated has wanted to jump my bones pretty quick, even the women who were pretending they wanted to be wooed first. I kind of like the idea of going a bit slow.”

“I can do slow, I’m a patient man,” Gibbs said, taking Tony into his arms.

DiNozzo chuckled in disbelief. “Patient, you? Pull the other leg, Boss.”

“I can be patient,” Jethro claimed. “When the situation warrants it.”

“And this situation warrants it?”

“Oooh, yeah,” Gibbs assured him as he hugged him. “It most certainly does.”

“You don’t think it’s silly?” Tony asked. “We’ve already known each other for over two years.”

“Not like this, we haven’t,” Jethro pointed out.

“I won’t make you wait long,” Tony promised.

Gibbs kissed him. “Like I said, as long as you need.”

Before Tony could protest, Jethro took him by the hand. “C’mon, the rest of the unpacking can wait. Let’s go watch the sunset.”

“Oooh… breakin’ the rules already, Boss.” Tony teased. “That’s not a good sign.”

“On the contrary,” Gibbs disagreed, “I think it’s a very good sign.”

Without another word, the two men went out onto the deck to watch the evening sky.  
________________________________________

Tony woke up alone. That wasn’t too unusual a state of affairs for him, given the nature of his love life, but a little disappointing, considering who this bed partner had been.

Bed partner….

Gibbs.

Whatever feeling of hurt that had been trying to work its way into his heart was replaced by excitement. He’d spent the night with Gibbs. Not only with Gibbs, but in his arms. Even if nothing sexual had happened, it didn’t change the fact that they’d slept together and longer than that nap the day before too. The soft motion rocking the bed reminded him that they were on a boat and had nothing scheduled for the next two weeks except getting to know each other more… intimately.

DiNozzo got out of bed a little more enthusiastically than was his normal habit. A little too enthusiastically, in fact, since he forgot that the ceiling was lower than what he was used to. Luckily, he hit the top of his head and not the back, so he didn’t re-injure himself.

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath, rubbing the spot he’d whacked. “I hope the boat Gibbs is building has better clearance.”

That brought his thoughts around to his bed partner again. Tony’d once again slept naked and, since they were still at the marina, figured it wasn’t a good idea to go up on deck that way. He found a pair of faded blue jeans and pulled them on. Bare-chested and barefoot, he left the cabin in search of Gibbs.

Unfortunately, the rest of the living accommodations were Gibb-less. Tony took a quick look around, paying more attention to detail than he had the evening before. The settee area was more spacious than he would have thought, the upholstered seats and small table appeared to do double duty as an eating and as well as a lounging area. The galley itself was u-shaped and, as Gibbs had pointed out the night before, it wasn’t overly large. If the two tried to cook together, they’d definitely be hip to hip.

Tony grinned at the thought. Full contact cooking didn’t sound like such a bad idea. He tucked the notion away for consideration later.

The galley was a little sparse on gadgets, but appeared to have the necessities covered. It wasn’t like either he or Gibbs was a gourmet anyway. DiNozzo frowned, however, as he noticed one particular device was missing. Not a coffee machine, which was secured to the counter and already had a half-full pot brewed, but a piece of equipment nearly as necessary. Tony glanced over at the settee area but, nope, nothing there either. Not good, not good at all. He’d definitely have to ask his companion about that as soon as possible.

Deciding he needed Gibbs more than food, Tony forewent breakfast and climbed the short ladder to get on deck. It wasn’t hard to find him. All he had to do was follow his nose and the aroma of coffee led him straight to his lover. Gibbs was sitting on the port side of the deck, feet dangling over the side. Without a word, Tony dropped beside him, joining the older man as he watched the sunrise.

“What kind of place,” DiNozzo said in a conversational tone after a few minutes, “Has a coffee pot, but no television?”

“A civilized place,” Gibbs responded. When Tony sighed, he leaned over and kissed him. “How’s your head feeling?”

“It’d be better if the ceiling was two inches higher,” DiNozzo said ruefully, rubbing the sore spot.

“You’re just going to have to work on your ducking skills,” Jethro said with a smile, apparently savoring a personal joke. He transferred his coffee cup to the other hand so he could run his fingers through Tony’s dark hair.

“Mmmmm….” DiNozzo all but purred at the sensation. “You been up long?”

“Two cups,” Jethro answered, holding up his mug.

Tony took it from him and drank deeply before handing it back. When Gibbs didn’t protest, he smiled a little. “Sharing coffee, Boss? I can see this is more than a one night stand.”

Jethro’s expression remained serious. “I told you yesterday that I loved you,” he said quietly. “I’ve got a hell of a lot more than a one night stand in mind. Are we on the same page on that?”

DiNozzo shivered at the other man’s intensity. Gibbs didn’t do anything halfway, even love. Maybe, especially love. Far from being daunting, it was a comforting thought. “Oh, yeah. Definitely same page. I’m thinking more of a forever night stand, if that’s okay by you.”

Gibbs smiled and relaxed. “Works for me.” Holding his mug to the side, he kissed Tony for the second time that morning.  
By the time the kiss ended, Tony was smiling. “So, what are we going to do on Betsy, anyway?”

The other man shrugged. “Thought we’d cruise up and down the bay. Nothing too fancy, just relax.”

DiNozzo thought about that idea, nodding his head as he realized it was just what they needed. He’d already noticed that Betsy didn’t have any mirrors, endearing the boat to him. “Sounds nice.”

“We’ll head into shore every few days and get fresh food supplies, fuel up when we need to,” Jethro went on to explain. “Eat at a restaurant when we get tired of cooking for ourselves. I figure we’ll use the engine as much or more than the sail.” He grinned at Tony. “Don’t know about you, but I don’t wanna work that hard.”

Tony made a show of exaggerated shock. “Gibbs? Not wanting to work? Stop the presses!”

Jethro chuckled. “Yes, even I occasionally enjoy being lazy, DiNozzo. I have a feeling I’m gonna like bein’ lazy with you.”

“Kate’ll think I’m a bad influence,” DiNozzo said, delighted at the idea. “So, without a television, what’re we going to do when we’re not sailing?”

Gibbs scratched his head as he thought about it. “Well, there’s always the weather to keep an eye on or we could pick up a couple of fishing licenses when we’re on shore.” He put his coffee mug down and stretched. “And if the pleasure of that pales, there’s always the fine art of knot tying.”

Tony sighed. Was it love that he thought that all of that sounded just grand? Deeply content, he rested his head on Gibbs’ shoulder and waited for the day to begin.  
________________________________________

It wasn’t dignified.

There were those who would call it immoral.

For Gibbs, it was a necessity for his immediate sanity.

Jethro Gibbs was masturbating. He was taking a shower in the head and was indulging himself by staying in longer than normal. With grim determination, his hand circled his engorged penis and he stroked it ruthlessly.

Tony didn’t mean to do it, Jethro was utterly positive of that. Tony talked like a tease, but was too compassionate to actually be one. He simply was unaware of the effect his nearness had on Gibbs – and Jethro wanted to keep it that way.

They’d been on the Betsy for two days and Tony was thriving. The sun and fresh air had done him a world of good, erasing the strain lines around his eyes and burnishing his skin with the kiss of the sun. He’d even managed to get a reasonable amount of food into the younger man and liked to think that Tony’s face was filling out again. Logically, he knew it had taken DiNozzo longer than two days to strip the weight from his body and would take a similar length to build it back on, but it did Jethro’s heart good to see Tony eat. As for no television, far from being bored on the boat, DiNozzo was in full educational mode. He asked more questions than a three year-old and, not at all surprisingly, was taking to seamanship like an old pro. The headache was history and so was Tony’s flinching when Gibbs growled; the trust was back.

It was also obvious that Tony was enjoying having a lover that was willing to wait. So far, they’d done nothing more than kiss and DiNozzo was becoming more and more comfortable in Jethro’s arms. Bedtimes were both the best and the worst part of the day. Best because they kissed until Tony fell asleep; worst because having Tony in his arms and not consummating their relationship was sheer torture.

Even so, Gibbs didn’t regret his promise. His bungle with Tony over the Ari incident and DiNozzo’s overreaction to it had compromised DiNozzo’s trust in him. This interlude was going a long way to rectifying that and Jethro wouldn’t risk it, not for all the passion in the world.

Not regretting his promise didn’t make it any easier to keep. Just watching Tony get dressed that morning… seeing that bare ass bent over as he reached for something on the floor… pressing up against Tony as they both tried to share the galley duties…

With a groan, Jethro increased the pressure on his cock. He used one hand to stroke up and down the rigid shaft and rubbed the palm of the other against the overly sensitive head. In his mind’s eye, he imagined Tony pulling the meager vinyl curtain aside and joining him. Just the thought of DiNozzo dropping to his knees in front of him was enough to bring Jethro off. With a grunt, he came into his hands, his semen spurting between his fingers and coating the shower wall. He kept his hands moving until he’d milked it all. In Betsy’s almost cramped quarters, privacy was rare. This would be his only outlet until tomorrow’s shower.

No, this promise wasn’t easy to keep, but when he thought of Tony and how he was flourishing with having a lover that didn’t pressure him, Gibbs knew it was more than worth it.  
________________________________________

“I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, chief. I'll find him for three, but I'll catch him, and kill him, for ten. But you've gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers, I don't want no mates, there's too many captains on this island. Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing.”

Gibbs looked up as Tony finished his soliloquy. “Very nice. Had me thinking for a minute that I was sharing a boat with Richard Burton.”

Tony hopped down from the top of the pilothouse, where he’d stood for his big scene. He opened his mouth to say something, but a round of applause and giggles from the boat in the next slip startled him. He swiveled and saw several bikini-clad young women ogling him.

One of them lifted a glass in salute. “That was wonderful! I just love Jaws, especially if there’s a big, strong man to hold me during the scary parts. Would you like to come over and recite the rest of it?”

DiNozzo blushed right up to the roots of his sun-lightened hair. “Thanks, ladies, but no. I’ve got plenty of audience over here.” He waved at them and waited until they turned away, still giggling, before he addressed his lover. “Oops.”

Gibbs grinned. “I warned you that sound carries over water.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not likely to forget now,” Tony admitted sheepishly.

It had been a good day. For the first time during their jaunt, they’d put in at a marina. After five days of just the two of them, it had felt odd to be among other people, but that had soon worn off. They’d had to be careful not to kiss or be overly affectionate with one another, however, and it had surprised Tony just how restraining that felt.

Pelican Lake was a small community, but one that was friendly to boaters. The local grocery hadn’t been too over-priced and DiNozzo had been pleased beyond reason when Gibbs had added a box of Captain Crunch to their cart without even asking. He’d wanted to reward the older man right then and there, but the store had too many people in it and he didn’t dare. The town was friendly to boaters but he had no idea how the locals felt about gays.

After stowing the groceries, they’d returned to town, lunching at a neighborhood restaurant. Luckily, it was more of a sports bar and had a television; Tony could catch up on the baseball he’d missed. Jethro had nursed several beers, indulging his partner’s passion for sports.

Remembering it, Tony frowned again as he thought about how he would have liked to shown Gibbs just how much he’d appreciated his understanding. Waiting was well and good, but after being in town where he was unable to display even basic affection, he’d come to realize just how much the two of them were missing….

“Gibbs?”

“Yeah,” the other man answered, not looking up from the navigational charts he’d been studying.

“When you said you wanted to introduce me to Gabe, how did you mean that?”

Gibbs looked up. “I was thinking of something along the lines of ‘Gabe, I’d like you to meet my life partner, Tony DiNozzo.’ Why, did you have something else in mind?”

Tony felt his eyes widen with surprise. “You’d tell him that we’re… together?”

Jethro shrugged. “That was the idea, yes.”

“Didn’t you say he was getting up there in years?” Tony asked. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll have a problem with two guys being together?”

The older man put his charts aside and rose to stand next to Tony. Both men leaned on the deck rail, staring out over the water.

“The only problem I anticipate having with telling Gabe is him making a pass at you,” Gibbs explained.

Tony looked at him in surprise. “Gabe is gay? Isn’t he old?”

Gibbs laughed. “Yes, Gabe is old. Yes, Gabe is gay. He used to say that his boats were the only ladies that he was capable of falling in love with. Homosexuality existed long before Liberace, you know.”

Tony lapsed into silence and it was Gibbs who spoke next.

“I take it that I’ll never be tested about my ability to keep the Ragu a secret?” He asked gently.

DiNozzo shook his head. “Yeah. My family… they don’t know I’m bi. They’d have a fit if they ever knew I was with another man, especially my dad.”

Gibbs took his hand, underneath the deck rail where it couldn’t be seen by their nosy neighbors. “I figured that was the case. It’s your family, Tony, your call. As for me, Gabe and my dad are the only ones I have left that matter and they already knows what I am.”

Tony nodded. “How about work?”

His companion didn’t answer that one right away. “I think it’s a moot point. Some of them already knew we were attracted to one another. They’re bound to have figured this out.”

That was surprising. Tony thought he’d been so careful. “Really? Who?”

“Tom Morrow.”

“The director?” DiNozzo squeaked. “The director knew that I had the hots for my boss?”

Gibbs chuckled ruefully. “More like he knew it was the other way around. Tom and I have known each other for decades.” He watched Tony squirm out of the corner of his eye. “He just about ordered me to take you to bed, you know.”

Speechless, Tony only gulped.

Jethro took pity on him. “It was more because I was being a bastard to everyone than anything else. I think he was afraid the whole department would quit if I didn’t mellow out soon.”

“Who else?” Tony asked, and then answered his own question. “Abby.” He thought back to their conversation in the elevator and it’d been pretty obvious.

Gibbs nodded. “And Ducky.”

DiNozzo expelled a huge sigh. “What about Kate?”

“I don’t think she’s figured it out yet,” Jethro said after a few moments of contemplation. “I think the way you act around attractive women has her fooled.”

“And do we tell her?”

His partner looked at DiNozzo levelly. “What do you think? Can she handle it?”

It was Tony’s turn to think about it. “Yeah, I think we have to. She can handle the reality better than finding out that we’ve hidden something this important from her.” He shuddered. “A profiler doesn’t like to be that wrong. Especially a female one, when it’s about romance.”

Gibbs grinned tightly. “Okay, we’ll tell her when we get back.”

At that moment, Tony’s cell phone began to ring. Up until that day, they’d left the devices in their bags, since out on the bay, they were often out of signal reach anyway. However, they’d each taken their phones into town, in case they went on separate errands and needed to stay in touch. Not being at the beck and call of the cell phone was another thing they’d gotten used to and Tony grimaced as he took his out of his pocket to look at the incoming number.

“Speak of the devil,” he said, looking at Gibbs expectantly. “It’s Kate. Should I answer?”

Jethro shrugged and then grinned. “Have fun.”

Tony grinned back, delighted that they were on the same wavelength. Flipping the phone open, he pressed the appropriate button and brought it up to his mouth. “DiNozzo.”

“Tony, are you all right?” Kate’s voice came across a little scratchy. Obviously, they didn’t have the best connection. “I’ve been trying to reach you for days, but your phone’s been off and you haven’t answered at the apartment.”

“Is something wrong?” DiNozzo asked, faintly concerned. Kate sounded anxious.

“You tell me – I’ve been worried about you,” Kate responded. “The way you’ve been acting the last couple of months and then the way you tore out of here after poor McGee wouldn’t let you into your computer. Are you all right?”  
Tony relaxed, giving Gibbs the thumbs-up sign that everything was all right at home. “I’m fine. Decided to take a little vacation, that’s all.”

“Where? You aren’t alone, are you?”

DiNozzo answered her second question first. “As a matter of fact, I’m not alone. I’ve got this sexy blue-eyed companion I picked up before we left the marina….”

Gibbs laughed and sat back in his chair, obviously having figured out where Tony was going in the conversation and approving of it wholeheartedly.

“Marina? Tony, are you on a boat?”

Tony leaned against the rail, enjoying himself thoroughly. “Yup. The only problem is, I’m not allowed to drive it.”

“Steer, DiNozzo.” Gibbs called out. “When you’re on a boat, it’s called ‘steering.’”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks, babe,” Tony said. “Steering.”

There was a strangled silence on the other end of the line and Tony had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. “Kate, you still there?”

“Tony, was that Gibbs’ voice?” She asked.

“Yeah.”  
“Gibbs, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, is your sexy blue-eyed companion?” Kate continued. “You’re on vacation with our boss. On a boat – and he lets you live after calling him ‘babe’?”

“That’s about it in a nutshell,” DiNozzo agreed. “You’re just lucky you called when you did. You know, ‘When the boat’s a’rockin’, don’t come knockin’’ and all that.”

More silence and then, finally, “Tony, that’s not funny.”

“No, it’s not. It’s the truth.” DiNozzo countered. He covered the mouthpiece of the phone with his hand and started tapping on it. “What’s that, Kate? I think we’re losing the connection. If you can still hear me, ask Abby. She can fill you in on the details.”

With that, he pushed the button that ended the call and then, with satisfaction, completely turned the phone off. When he looked up, Gibbs was grinning at him.

“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?” The older man asked.

“Oooooh, yeah,” Tony said smugly. “I don’t think she’ll be teasing me about kissing a he/she anymore, that’s for sure.”  
Gibbs nodded at him. “Nicely done.”

“Thanks.”

Tony sauntered over the few steps from the rail to the chair the older man sat at. He leaned down incredibly close to whisper into Jethro’s ear, “What say you take those charts of yours and find us a place we can get to tonight. I think we’ll be wanting to make some noises that we don’t want the neighbors to hear.”

Just in case Gibbs didn’t get the point, Tony took the lobe of the older man’s ear in his teeth and nibbled gently. He felt Jethro shift in his seat and grinned expectantly as he saw the growing bulge in the other man’s pants.

The trip into town had shown Tony that he craved more contact with this man. Intimate contact. Although he’d loved the security of knowing that Gibbs wouldn’t pressure him, it was time for more.

The wait was officially over.  
________________________________________

With the incentive Tony had given him, Jethro found an appropriate spot quickly enough. He’d sailed these waters enough to know of an out of the way place. They were still on the bay, but close enough to shore that they didn’t have to worry too much about being in a traffic area. Even so, he set the appropriate lights that would let a passing vessel know that they were there and to avoid hitting them.

Then he went below decks and joined his lover.

Tony was just finishing cleaning up from dinner. They’d finally used the hated jar of Ragu and DiNozzo had made the best of it. The younger man had teased by holding up a piece of spaghetti pasta and tilting his head back, making a show of slurping it down. Then, with just an inch or two hanging out of his mouth, he would lock eyes with Gibbs and draw it in slowly, the suction he was using causing his cheeks to hollow out.

After the third noodle had disappeared that way, Jethro had gulped down the rest of his food and fled to the deck, murmuring something about getting Betsy bedded down for the night. Tony’s throaty chuckle had followed him and Gibbs had practically flown through his chores. He could be patient, as he’d proven with Tony’s desire to wait, but now the waiting was over.

DiNozzo had obviously heard him come down the ladder, because he tossed the towel aside and moved to face Gibbs. Even before he was fully turned around, Jethro was on him, pinning Tony to the counter with his body.

“You got your chores done mighty quick,” Tony said, voice light but a little breathless.

“You gave me reason to,” Gibbs growled. He placed one hand to either side of Tony’s hips, immobilizing him against the counter. “Something about the wait being over.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely over,” DiNozzo said with feeling. Far from trying to get away from Jethro, he wrapped his arms around the older man’s neck and pulled him closer. “You were right, though, you can be patient. I love that about you. Thank you.”

Gibbs nuzzled the side of Tony’s neck. Now that he had permission to explore, he wanted to taste every inch of Tony. “I love you too and you’re welcome.”

With that, the two men kissed. They’d kissed before, but nothing like they were kissing now. Their other kisses had been full of anticipation for what was to come and this was the kiss that began the fulfillment of that promise. Gibbs’ tongue invaded Tony’s mouth and DiNozzo let it, moaning softly. Jethro moaned too; he’d had his tongue inside Tony’s mouth before but now it held a special urgency. If simply getting his tongue inside Tony’s mouth felt this good, what would it feel like when his cock was deep within his lover?

Gibbs pulled back and rested his head against Tony’s forehead. “You are incredible.”

“Right back at you, big guy,” Tony responded. Gibbs was pleased to hear the younger man breathing hard. It was nice to know that he wasn’t the only one feeling the effects of waiting – or the fact that it was now over.

“Come here, let’s do this right,” Gibbs said, offering Tony his hand. DiNozzo took it with a surprisingly shy smile and let Jethro lead him to their cabin. “Watch your head.”

“Believe me, my head’s the last thing on my mind right now,” Tony said.

Gibbs turned when he was inside the cabin, walking backwards and kissing Tony every step of the way to the bed. The two men stopped there by unspoken mutual consent.

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” Tony quipped.

Jethro reached up and cupped the other man’s face. “DiNozzo, you’ve slept nude in my arms for almost a week. There’s no reason to be nervous now - I’ve seen everything you’ve got.”

“Not like this,” Tony said unsteadily.

Gibbs considered and then nodded. “Not like this,” he agreed.

Working in an oddly mirror fashion, both men slowly took their shirts off. Each had a well-defined chest, although Gibbs was a little hairier than DiNozzo. They drank in the sight of one another and then, still not speaking, slowly took their pants off and tossed them aside before toeing off their socks. Each man’s underwear was already tented and slightly damp from an erection, but that was where the similarity ended. Tony was wearing red, knit briefs that hugged every inch, whereas Gibbs’ were boxers that were loose everywhere - except where they strained over his stiffening cock. Obviously, the younger man had recovered enough that ‘performance’ was no longer an issue.

Panting and flushed, Tony hooked his thumbs in the elastic of his briefs. Gibbs did the same. Slowly and carefully, each slid their last garment down, freeing their cocks. Tony’s slapped against his lean belly while Gibbs’ stuck straight out. Both were rigid with need.

“Come here,” Gibbs repeated after they’d stared at each other for a few moments.

Offering his hand to Tony again, he gently laid down on the bed with the other man. The couple stretched out on the mattress, stroking each other’s faces almost reverently. Since Tony was still being uncharacteristically shy, Gibbs made the first move, leaning forward and kissing DiNozzo deeply.

DiNozzo’s reaction was almost immediate. He moaned softly and pressed close, almost whimpering as their groins crushed against one another. Gibbs threw one leg over Tony’s, bringing them together even more. Their mouths slid together as the kiss grew hotter and Gibbs let his lips slide off Tony’s, leaving him free to trail kisses down the length of DiNozzo’s neck.

Tony stretched to the side, inviting more of the nibbling and Gibbs happily obliged. While he was busy feasting on DiNozzo’s skin, Tony’s hands were doing their own roaming. At first, he clutched at Jethro’s back but then he moved to stroke across Gibbs’ shoulders and down his chest. Tony rubbed his palms against the taut nubs of Jethro’s nipples, causing Gibbs to moan and bite down harder on his neck. When Tony gasped, Jethro kissed the spot, lingering with his tongue.

“Now I know what an ear of corn feels like,” DiNozzo laughed. “All that nibbling….”

Gibbs snorted. “If you’ve got enough breath to make jokes, then I’m not doing somethin’ right.”

“Oh, I think you’re doing just fine - oh. Ooooh.”

Tony’s voice trailed off. Gibbs had taken advantage of his distraction to move his hands and take hold of Tony’s erection.  
“Speechless,” Gibbs said smugly. “Just the way I like it.”

The older man fisted Tony’s cock for a few strokes, leaving DiNozzo unable to do anything but clutch his shoulders and hang on for the ride.

“Jethro, you’ve got to stop,” DiNozzo finally gasped.

Gibbs was so surprised that he ceased his activity. “What did you just call me?”

Tony’d recovered enough breath to smile and kiss the other man lightly. “Considering where you’ve got your hand, it seems a little formal to call you ‘Gibbs’ or ‘Boss.’ Do you mind?”

Jethro kissed him intensely, restarting his stroking of Tony’s penis at the same time. “Mind? I’ve been waiting years for that.”

“Seriously, Jethro, you’ve got to stop,” DiNozzo repeated. In contrast to his words, his body was arching into the touch and Tony was biting his lip as he fought for control. “I’m not gonna last long and I wanted us to get off together.”  
“That’s okay,” Gibbs crooned. “The good thing about us old men is that we can last a long time. I want you to feel good; I’ll still be ready when you’re up for round two.”

His fingers dipped to play with the sac containing Tony’s balls and DiNozzo gave up protesting. Gibbs enjoyed watching the sensations play across his lover’s face; Tony was very responsive to stimulation. That wasn’t exactly a surprise, but it certainly was a delight.

Eager to bring the younger man to climax, Jethro changed his grip to contain both of their erections. Having the additional friction of another cock, along with the rough caress of a calloused hand, was enough to break Tony’s meager control. With a long drawn-out moan, he came, bathing Gibbs’ hand and both their stomachs with his cum.

Gibbs slowly wound down his stroking, watching Tony’s face as the younger man went through stages of bliss. Finally, he let go of his lover’s softening cock and put his hand on Tony’s hip, kissing him impudently on the chin.

“I love you,” Tony whispered. “That was… better than I’d ever imagined.”

“It was just a hand job,” Gibbs pointed out. He tried to go on to say that it was only the beginning, when Tony interrupted him.

“Yeah, but it was your hand,” DiNozzo said. “That’s different.”

His words made Gibbs feel ten feet tall.

“That was just the appetizer,” he promised the younger man.

Jethro kissed Tony’s nose quickly and just managed to dodge Tony’s attempt to hijack his mouth. Instead, he got up and moved as quickly as he could, given his unfulfilled condition, to the head. There he wet a washcloth and came back to Tony, intending to clean them both off. Tony just lay there and watched him approach, eyes half-lidded in the aftermath of what Jethro hoped was only his first orgasm.

“Hey!” DiNozzo jumped as he felt the touch of the cool cloth. “That’s cold!”

Gibbs finished and dropped the offending square of fabric to the floor dramatically before crawling across the bed to get right into Tony’s face. “Would you really have wanted me to take the time to warm up the water?”

“Ah… no,” DiNozzo said. He slid down on his pillow, accepting Gibbs weight as the older man pressed down.

“Good answer,” Jethro murmured before capturing Tony’s mouth in another kiss. When they pulled apart, he leaned forward to whisper in DiNozzo’s ear. “You still want to take care of something for me?”

“Oh, yeah,” Tony smiled. He started to wiggle out from underneath Gibbs, his eyes fixed on his lover’s cock, but Jethro stopped him.

“Nah-uh,” Gibbs said. He wrapped his arms around Tony and let his hands slide lower to cup DiNozzo’s ass, his fingers gently stroking between the firm cheeks. “This is where I want to be tonight.”

He watched Tony’s expression carefully and so witnessed the younger man’s eyes dilate as his words sank in.  
“I think that can be arranged,” DiNozzo purred.

“Good man,” Gibbs murmured, kissing and nipping his way across Tony’s chest. As the younger man arched into the touch, he moved his hands under his back, encouraging DiNozzo to turn over.

Tony settled against the bedspread, instinctively lifting his ass in the air as Jethro began to stroke it. His cock was already beginning to become interested in the proceedings, despite the orgasm he’d experienced only minutes before.  
“Jethro….” Tony moaned after several minutes of nothing but Gibbs kneading and stroking his cheeks.

“Hmmmmm,” Gibbs responded absently.

“I never said that I was patient,” DiNozzo whined. “C’mon already.”

Jethro slapped him lightly on the butt. “I always had the feeling you were a pushy bottom”

But, in spite of his complaint, Gibbs bent down and kissed his way up Tony’s spine. When he reached the base of the younger man’s neck, he bit lightly before gladly bestowing the kiss that DiNozzo twisted his head searching for.  
Jethro reluctantly abandoned Tony’s lips and reached for the built-in bedside table. Since they’d had dual sets of condoms and lube, they’d stashed one of each there. He reached in and tumbled both out, grabbing the tube and returning to Tony before his lover could protest his absence.

Gibbs squeezed out a generous dollop of lube on his finger and, after blowing on it to warm it slightly, he returned to his new favorite place on Earth. Parting Tony’s ass cheeks with one hand, he slid the other between, finding the puckered opening to his lover’s body for the first time. Using the lubed finger, he began massaging around the delicate opening, grinning fiercely as DiNozzo gasped in response and pushed against him.

“Like that, do you?” Gibbs asked smugly.

“Oh, God, yes,” Tony gasped.

Gibbs wanted to take it slow, but DiNozzo kept pushing against him, seemingly trying to get him to insert something instead of just massaging around the outside. Finally, Jethro sat on the bed and braced himself against the wall. Once he was positioned, he pulled Tony across his lap.

“What are you doing?” Tony protested. By the tone of his voice, he was startled by the older man’s move.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to spank you,” Jethro reassured him. “Just want to make sure you’re ready before we move on.”

Tony squirmed a bit, obviously trying to get comfortable. He opened his mouth like he was going to protest further, but not a sound came out. By that alone, Gibbs could pinpoint the exact moment that the younger agent realized his cock, which was stiffening up nicely by the feel of it, was cocooned in Gibbs’ lap.

Smiling, Gibbs got down to business. He started with his kneading again, loving how the firm flesh of Tony’s ass felt in his hands. Beginning to feel the strain himself, he moved on, re-lubing his finger before initiating the anal massage for a second time. Once he felt Tony relax against him, Jethro pushed the slick digit inside. The reaction was almost immediate. Tony moaned and arched further, only Gibbs’ hand on the small of his back keeping him in Jethro’s lap. As for Gibbs, his control was hard won. His cock wanted, badly, to be where his finger was and was starting to make its need known.

Gibbs ignored the throbbing of his own erection as much as he could. Instead, he concentrated on the heat surrounding his finger, letting his universe narrow down to that few specific inches. He discovered a simple cause and effect. If he swiveled his finger just like that, Tony would gasp. If he thrust it just so, Tony would whimper.

Interested to see what new and interesting noises Tony would make if he used two fingers, Gibbs withdrew from DiNozzo’s ass. Coating a second finger, he quickly returned, noting that Tony was panting heavily – and spreading to give him more access.

Jethro started the massage again, his two slick fingers circling the puckered opening as though it were a dance. He dipped one fingertip inside, but just for a moment, before going back to his manipulation of the outer ring.

“Don’t tease,” Tony moaned.

Gibbs shook his head, even though he knew Tony couldn’t see him. “Not teasin’, babe. You’re awfully tight. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

DiNozzo hid his face against the bedspread. “Yeah.”

“That’s what I thought,” Jethro answered.

He both inserted fingers, first to just one knuckle and then, as Tony’s body accommodated him, slowing working the rest inside. With two fingers penetrating, the narrow passage felt twice as warm and Gibbs felt himself start to sweat. Tony squirmed on his lap and Jethro used his free hand to rub comforting circles on his back.

“Good?” He asked the younger man.

“More,” DiNozzo said succinctly, trying to thrust back onto Gibbs hand.

“Okay, okay,” Jethro chuckled. If there was one thing he could always count on Tony for, it was enthusiasm.

Instead of adding a third finger, however, Gibbs started working the ones he had inside Tony. The swiveling and thrusting still garnered breathy reactions, but he took advantage of having two digits within and really began stretching the other man. He alternated between scissoring the fingers and twisting them, opening his lover up as much as possible for what was to come.

Before long, Tony’s body was moving with him, pushing back onto Gibbs’ fingers despite Jethro’s hand pressing down on his back. With trembling fingers, Gibbs withdrew, his hands shaking a little as he lubed up a third digit. He let all three fingers rest a moment against the opening he’d been stretching and then slowly pushed in.

Tony cried out softly and his undulations ceased. Gibbs started rubbing the other man’s back again, slightly concerned.  
“You okay?” He asked when DiNozzo remained silent.

“Yeah,” Tony answered. “It’s just, like I said, been a while.”

It strained muscles he forgot he had, but Jethro leaned down to kiss Tony. “It’s going to be worth it,” he promised.  
“I know.” Tony said simply.

Gibbs was awed anew at Tony’s trust in him. As agonizing as this last week of waiting had sometimes been, at least it had allowed the hurt of the last months to fade away. Having regained Tony’s trust, Jethro had every intention of being worthy of it.

He moved his fingers gently until he felt Tony relax against their intrusion. There wasn’t as much room to swivel, but it probably wasn’t necessary anyway. Tony was as ready as he was going to get.

Jethro slid his fingers out of Tony’s body and, anticipating the younger man’s protest, slapped DiNozzo lightly on the ass.  
“Lift up a little,” Gibbs grunted.

Tony obeyed and Jethro wiggled his legs out from underneath the younger man. He’d meant to put a couple of pillows underneath DiNozzo, but Tony lifted his ass in the air, making it unnecessary.

“I guess I don’t need to ask if you’re ready,” Gibbs chuckled.

“Hell, yes,” Tony claimed.

Jethro believed him. He kept his eyes fixed on his lover’s ass as he sheathed his erection in a condom and slicked the covered length with more lube. As he waited, Tony looked over his shoulder as if to make sure that Gibbs was still there.  
With a soft growl at seeing that pleading glance, Gibbs left off his preparations and moved behind his lover. He rubbed his slippery fingers across Tony’s ass, kneading it one last time prior to possessing it.

“Please,” Tony moaned, pushing against the older man.

Gibbs spread Tony’s ass cheeks and positioned his cock at the prepared opening. He rubbed the mushroom-shaped head of it against DiNozzo’s rectum a couple of times, then before DiNozzo could complain about another delay, slowly pushed it inside as he mounted the younger man.

The heat of Tony’s body had felt good on his fingers, but it was nothing to how it felt surrounding the tip of his erection.  
Only Tony’s gasp and the stiffening of the body beneath him kept Jethro from plunging completely inside and riding swiftly to completion.

“You okay?” Jethro asked. He spared one hand to rub circles on Tony’s lower back.

“Like I said,” DiNozzo ground out between pants. “It’s been a while.”

Gibbs body was screaming at him to claim his mate; his mind was concerned with making the experience good for both of them.  
“And like I said, I can be a patient man,” Jethro soothed.

The older man maintained a soothing patter of words, along with one hand stroking Tony’s back in encouragement. He slipped further inside as he felt his lover’s body acclimate to penetration, stopping frequently to give Tony time to adjust. After what felt like forever, but in reality was only a few minutes, he felt the warm globes of Tony’s ass ground against his crotch. Gibbs was fully inside.

Jethro draped himself across Tony’s back, stilling his body’s desire to piston his hips. Instead, he reached around for DiNozzo’s cock, pleased to find it almost as full and hard as his own. Tony needed his hands to support both their weight, so Gibbs took time to stroke his lover to full stiffness.

“Okay?” He asked Tony.

DiNozzo nodded, but Gibbs could see him worrying his lower lip with his teeth.

“You sure?” He insisted.

“God, yes,” Tony responded. He awkwardly twisted his head so he could look at Jethro. “It’s just… you’re inside me. You are inside me. I never thought….” He gulped and shifted underneath Gibbs, unable to complete the thought.

“And it’s only the beginning,” Gibbs promised.

With a sharp nip to the back of Tony’s neck, which caused the younger man’s body to ripple around Gibb’s cock in the most delightful way, Jethro straightened. Still aware enough to remember that the body he was joined to hadn’t mated in this way in some time; he withdrew slowly, reversing direction at the last minute to slide back deeply inside with an equally languid glide.

“Oh, God,” Tony moaned. He lowered his head and spread his legs wider, giving himself up to the sensations Gibbs’ slow thrusting was creating.

Jethro kept up the deliberate movement, feeling Tony catch fire beneath him and begin to move in a delicious countermovement. Only then did he begin to speed up his thrusts, shifting his grip to DiNozzo’s hips. By the time he was slamming himself inside, both of them were moaning and Tony had his head pillowed in his arms, giving maximum lift to his buttocks.

Gibbs knew he wouldn’t last long and, hoping to bring them to completion together, he swiveled his hips as he thrust in, hoping to find that sweet spot that would help. When Tony cried out sharply and bucked wildly beneath him, he’d knew he’d found it.

Grinning fiercely, Jethro made sure to bang against DiNozzo’s prostate with every thrust. He could see Tony fisting his own cock and knew it wouldn’t be long. At least, he hoped it wouldn’t; he wasn’t sure how long he could hold off orgasm himself.

As it turned out, he didn’t have to for very long at all.

Tony had gone beyond the ability to form words and, with an inarticulate keening, the younger man finally reached the pinnacle. The hot splash of semen against his thighs hardly penetrated Gibbs’ awareness. Instead, all of his consciousness was centered on the way the glorious body surrounding him clenched and rippled. With a cry of triumph, Gibbs let himself go, clutching Tony’s hips as he thrust in as far as he could. He felt his cock pulse inside of his lover as his body erupted and the world around him lost focus as he was caught up in his orgasm.

When Gibbs came back to himself, it was to find that he’d collapsed on top of Tony, both of them lying puddled on the bed. His world rocked and, for a minute, Jethro thought it was him, but then he remembered that he was on a boat. Even Betsy, it seemed, hadn’t been immune to the force of his coming together with Tony.

“If the boat’s a-rockin’,” he murmured against DiNozzo’s neck with a chuckle. Now that they’d made love, he felt lighter than air.

Tony stirred beneath him. “Don’t you even think of moving.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Gibbs assured him. He ran a hand down Tony’s sweaty torso. “You okay?”

“Mmmmm…”

Gibbs didn’t have to see the smile to know it was on the younger man’s face.

“Here, let’s move to our sides,” Jethro encouraged. “I’m too heavy for this.”

Tony grabbed Gibbs’ hand before the older man could get the leverage to move them. “No, you’re perfect. Waited too long to have you inside me….”

Jethro gave up. If Tony ever knew how much control he had in their relationship, Gibbs was in for a hard time. “Okay, but gravity’s going to take care of it at some point anyway.”

“Mine,” Tony mumbled and Jethro realized he was more than half asleep. “Gravity can’t have you.”

Gibbs watched as DiNozzo nuzzled the covers, his eyes closing as his breathing slowed with the evenness of sleep. 

Unwilling to disappoint Tony even though he wouldn’t be aware of it, Jethro settled down on top of his lover, waiting for nature to expel him from his lover’s body. As if in sympathy with the sated men, Betsy’s rocking slowly calmed.

“I think you’ve got her wrapped around your little finger too,” Jethro said.

Tony slept on and, despite his desire to stay awake and contemplate the fate that brought this man into his arms, Gibbs soon did the same.  
________________________________________

“I know why you like the water so much.”

It was late afternoon and both men were feeling lazy. After their first night together, full of loving exploration, they’d slept later than either man normally did. Not feeling particularly ambitious, they’d not taken Betsy out far – just far enough to ensure their continued privacy.

Alone except for the water, the couple sat on deck in the shade of the pilothouse. Gibbs sat with his back against its wooden slats and Tony sat in his arms, his back to Jethro’s chest. Both men were dressed only in jeans; leaving their torsos and feet bare. Gibbs was taking advantage of that situation by slowly sucking a sizeable hickey on the skin between Tony’s neck and shoulder.

DiNozzo lay quietly in Jethro’s arms, staring off into the distance as his lover marked him. He tilted his head to the side to give Jethro access, his hand idly stroking Gibbs’ thigh.

Tony couldn’t remember ever feeling so content and secure.

“Why?”

Jethro’s quiet question broke DiNozzo’s reverie. He hadn’t realized he’d made that comment out loud.

“The water,” Gibbs reminded him. “Why do I like it so much?”

Tony rolled his head so he could look into the older man’s face. When he saw the amused and genuinely curious expression there, he couldn’t help but smile back. Just because he could, DiNozzo reached up and kissed his lover before answering.

“You like it because it’s uncompromising,” he explained. “But if you know what you’re doing and treat it with respect, you can… well… not conquer it exactly, but make sure it doesn’t conquer you.” He smiled sheepishly. “If that makes sense.”

Jethro smiled back. “I think I may have hired the wrong person to be the team’s profiler. That’s a pretty astute observation, Special Agent DiNozzo.”

“Well, you are my favorite thing to observe, Special Agent Gibbs.” Tony blushed as he responded, pleased with the compliment.

At that exquisitely romantic moment, when the two men were staring deep into one another’s eyes, hearts swelling with the love they’d only recently been able to express….

Tony’s stomach growled.

Jethro laughed, but DiNozzo wasn’t amused.

“Spoilsport,” he muttered as he looked down at the offending stomach.

“Come on,” Gibbs said as he carefully untangled himself from his lover. “Let’s get you fed.”

Tony frowned even as he obligingly slid off Jethro’s lap. “What kind of name is Gibbs anyway?”

Jethro stood and offered a hand to Tony, eyebrows raised as he tried to follow the other man’s abrupt change of subject. “Gibbs is an American name. Why?”

DiNozzo let himself be pulled to his feet. “Because the way you keep shoving food at me, you’d think you were Italian.”  
Jethro didn’t directly answer. Instead, he ran his hand along Tony’s side, kissing the younger man as the caress caused him to shiver.

Abruptly, Gibbs pulled away and stepped towards the hatch that led to the lower part of the boat. “If you’re a good boy and clean your plate, DiNozzo, I’ll let you drive tonight.”

Tony was slow to follow, in more ways than one. “It’s not called ‘driving’ on a boat, Boss.” He smiled, inordinately pleased at himself.

Gibbs was partway down the ladder, but he stopped to grin at his lover. “Wasn’t talkin’ about the boat, DiNozzo.”  
His silver head had disappeared down the hatch before Tony figured out the import of Jethro’s word choice. He gulped, thinking about being inside Gibbs’ body….

Suddenly, Tony couldn’t get to the galley fast enough.

“Wait for me,” he called out as he hurried after the older man. “I think I just found my appetite.”  
________________________________________

“And what if I get too Captain Bly?”

The couple were snuggled together in the settee area, mugs full of hot chocolate and coffee, respectively, on the table. They’d finally run out of luck when it came to the weather, this their final full day on Betsy. The boat would be turned over to Gabe’s marina the next afternoon and the couple was savoring their last hours on the bay. A gentle smattering of rain tapped against the deck and they’d retreated to the lower level to stay dry. A first a shared crossword puzzle served as a diversion, but with a return to the office imminent, conversation had turned to how they were going to handle it.

“I could always call you ‘sir.’” Tony offered. “You hate that.”

Gibbs thought about it for a minute. “Yeah, that ought to snap me out of it.”

“And if I get too out of line, just whap me upside the head.” DiNozzo suggested.

“I do that anyway,” Jethro said.

“That’s the beauty of it,” Tony said with a grin. “No one will think anything’s any different.”

Gibbs pulled Tony closer. “As long as you know that everything’s different.”

“I know,” DiNozzo assured him, snuggling his head underneath Jethro’s chin. “Trust me, I know.”

The two men lapsed into silence, serenaded by the sound of the rain.

“I wish we could be like this all the time,” Tony said. He kissed the underside of Jetho’s chin before struggling out of his arms and sitting up. “But we can’t.”

“Not at work,” Gibbs said, hearing the shade of regret in his own voice.

“Not at work,” DiNozzo agreed. “And after these two weeks, that’s going to be hard, so…” His voice trailed off as he suddenly found the sleeve of Jethro’s sweater to be fascinating.

“So….” Gibbs gently probed. “What, Tony?”

“This is going to sound stupid,” Tony admitted, “But when I need something more, at the office, I’ll just call you ‘Boss’ and, when I do, you’ll know I’m saying that I love you.”

Jethro blinked. “But you call me ‘Boss’ all the time.”

“Yeah.” Tony shrugged.

Gibbs swallowed, his throat suddenly tight. “When I need a little something more,” he said roughly, “I’ll just find a way to brush against your most recent hickey.”

Jethro put action to his words. He reached out and stroked the remnants of the first mark he’d put on Tony. It had mostly faded, leaving only a slight blush to DiNozzo’s skin. That didn’t matter. Both men remembered and that was enough to make each man shiver.

“What if I don’t have a recent hickey?” Tony challenged unsteadily.

Gibbs grinned. “Well, then I drag you off to the nearest supply closet and give you one.”

DiNozzo licked his lips. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

“Good,” Jethro said. He sat up and started crawling across the settee towards DiNozzo.

“Boss, what’re you doing?”

“Seems to me that hickey’s getting kind of pale,” Jethro said smugly. “We can’t have that; we’re back in the office the day after tomorrow. Time to freshen it up.”

“Just don’t put one where Kate can see, okay?” Tony asked. “She’d never let me hear the end of it."

Gibbs just grinned wickedly as he climbed on top of Tony.

“Boss!”

The crossword puzzle never did get finished.  
________________________________________

It wasn’t the lightning that woke Tony, it was the emptiness of the bed. Still, half-asleep, Tony patted the spot where he expected Jethro to be. At least it was still warm, so the older man hadn’t been gone long. Thinking perhaps Gibbs was in the head, DiNozzo decided to wait to welcome him back.

Tony didn’t have any trouble staying awake. They were tied up in Betsy’s slip at her home marina, but the boat still bobbed and dipped enthusiastically. DiNozzo gulped. The whole reason they’d put in at the marina was the probability of thunderstorms. Even with bad weather on the horizon, they’d decided to stay on the boat, both of them reluctant to leave their love nest.

He was beginning to regret that decision now.

Just as he was about to give up and go looking for his wandering lover, Jethro came back. In other circumstances, Tony would have enjoyed watching a nude Gibbs prowl across the room. Unfortunately, he was too worried to enjoy it. The older man smiled when he saw that Tony was awake and lost no time in slipping under the covers.

“Is it getting bad?” DiNozzo asked.

“Nah, it’s nothing,” Gibbs reassured him. “I checked the radio. The storm mostly went east of us. Just the tip of it’s brushing the bay and the weather service isn’t even issuing a wind alert for this area.”

Just then another wave rocked the boat, causing Tony to grab on to Jethro for support.

“That didn’t feel like nothing,” Tony said.

Gibbs settled into his pillow. “It’s just a little chop. Being tied to the dock makes it feel worse. It’s nothing to be afraid of.”  
“Afraid?” Tony lifted up enough to glare at Gibbs. “I’m not afraid, I’m just being cautious.”

The boat lurched again in the rough water, sending DiNozzo back into Gibbs’ arms.

“Cautious, huh?” Jethro commented.

Tony blushed as he realized he was clutching on to Gibbs again. “Well, yeah, we are still in hurricane season.”

“I know the weather, Tony, and there’s nothing to worry about.” Jethro assured him. “Trust me.”

“I do trust you,” Tony protested. “It’s the weather I don’t trust.”

DiNozzo was half-afraid that his comment had offended his lover. He needn’t have worried. Instead of being repulsed, Gibbs pulled him closer and started nibbling on his neck.

“What are you doing? Tony was a little startled.

“I think you need a little distraction,” Gibbs murmured.

DiNozzo yelped as another wave made the boat shudder. “And you think this is the best time to do that?”

Gibbs did one of those quick movements of his, which ended up with him crouched over Tony. “Oh, this is the best time for this.” He flashed one of his most boyish smiles at the younger man. “Trust me.”

DiNozzo couldn’t help but react to that smile. “I always trust you.”

“Good,” Jethro murmured.

Gibbs descended on his lover. What skin his lips missed, his hands caressed. Even though they’d already made love once earlier in the evening, Tony found himself easily drawn into Jethro’s passion. The lightning flickered intermittently through the porthole and painted their skin brightly, but the phenomenon had lost its sense of danger. Similarly, the rocking of the boat only became part of how Gibbs’ body was rocking Tony’s world and not something to worry about.  
By the time Jethro was encouraging him to roll to his side, Tony had all but forgotten about the storm. In the eternity that he waited for Gibbs to put on a condom, though, his awareness of it came back as the waves caused the bed to shudder.

“Jethro?”

“Don’t worry, babe, I got you,” Gibbs was suddenly at Tony’s back, rubbing his shoulders.

The touch soothed Tony and he pressed back against the older man, moaning when he felt the hot length of Jethro’s erection slide between his cheeks. Jethro ran a lazy hand along DiNozzo’s hip; the older man certainly didn’t seem to be in a hurry. DiNozzo could feel Gibbs position his cock at his opening, but he didn’t push in, despite Tony already being stretched from their earlier lovemaking session.

“What are you waiting for?” DiNozzo gasped.

In the next moment, he found out.

The boat surged up again from a big wave and, as it did, Jethro pressed his cock home. He penetrated Tony slowly but deeply, sliding all the way inside in one fluid motion.

“Oh, God,” Tony gasped. The instant fullness was welcome, but unexpected.

“Easy, babe,” Gibbs crooned. He wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist and DiNozzo grabbed onto them, clutching Jethro’s hands and pulling them closer.

Another wave rocked the boat and, as it ebbed, Jethro withdrew most of the way; another slow motion that enflamed DiNozzo’s every nerve.

“Worth waiting for?” Jethro asked.

As an answer, Tony swiveled just enough in Gibbs arms to twist awkwardly to kiss the other man. He couldn’t hold the position long, though, and by the time the next wave hit, he’d relinquished the kiss to allow for deeper penetration.  
Their coupling took its rhythm from the water. Gibbs thrust and withdrew with each surge and ebb until Tony no longer knew who was fucking him, Jethro or the waves. Since this was their second tryst for the night, neither man was in much of a hurry and they lay on the bed for what seemed like hours, both bodies and hearts joined.

“Please, Jethro,” Tony eventually gasped. The storm was long forgotten – all DiNozzo was aware of was the slow build up of sensation until his body was begging for release.

“You got it,” Gibbs responded.

He dropped their joined hands and wrapped them around Tony’s straining erection. One stroke, then two, and Tony finally came. His seed erupted over both of their hands and the younger man sighed as his back arched, too deep in sensation to do anything more. With a groan, Gibbs joined him, thrusting deep and letting the spasming of Tony’s body around his cock milk his own release.

Tony felt Jethro bury his face in the hair at the back of his neck and he was glad to know he wasn’t the only one deeply affected by their joining.

“Jethro… that was incredible,” he gasped.

“Still worried about the storm?” Gibbs asked, running a hand along DiNozzo’s hip.

Tony laughed, still a bit breathless from their activities. “Storm? What storm?”

“Good boy,” Jethro murmured.

DiNozzo wiggled, pleased that Gibbs hadn’t tried to withdraw. Who said old dogs couldn’t learn new tricks? “Any more storms headed our way?”

Tony felt rather than saw Jethro shake his head. “Nope.”

“That’s too bad,” Tony sighed.

Gibbs laughed and lightly slapped him on the hip. “That’s a change of heart. I must have been a pretty good distraction”  
“You know the answer to that,” DiNozzo said with a tired grin. “How long will it be until your boat is done?”

Gibbs nibbled on his ear. “I don’t know. Why?”

“Because I wouldn’t mind a repeat,” Tony admitted. “Could you get it done faster if I helped?”

Jethro nuzzled behind DiNozzo’s ear. “I don’t know about faster, but it’d be more fun. Besides, I’m sure Gabe would be willing to loan us Betsy until we get finished.”

“Good,” Tony sighed.

DiNozzo yawned again and Jethro tightened his arms around the young man. The strength of the waves was waning and they’d subsided to a level that merely made the boat bob rhythmically in the water. Exhausted by satiation, the lovers let it rock them to sleep.  
________________________________________

Gibbs didn’t want to admit it, but he was worried. Not about his relationship with Tony – that felt more solid than anything ever had in his life. Jethro was confident that he and his lover could maintain their working relationship on a professional level.

Well, as professional as DiNozzo ever got, anyway.

It was the rest of his team he worried about. A little competition was a good thing, but if the others worried that he’d start playing favorites with Tony now that they were lovers, well, it could get ugly.

“You’re awfully quiet.”

Jethro looked at his companion and shrugged. “It’s not like I can chat about what I did my last night before coming back to work.”

Tony blushed. After leaving Betsy with the marina staff, they’d gone first to DiNozzo’s apartment to pack some of his things and then on to Gibbs’ house. In between, they’d managed to ‘christen’ the beds in both places. A most productive night but not exactly something they could talk about at the office, even if was just the two of them on the elevator.

“Don’t worry, Boss,” Tony said as the doors began to open. “I have a feeling everything’s going to be just fine.”

Gibbs barely suppressed a yelp. Apparently, Tony had learned a thing or two about distractions. His use of the word ‘Boss’ and what he knew Tony meant by it had diverted Jethro’s attention for just a split second. Just long enough for DiNozzo to pinch him firmly on the ass.

So it was that, as they walked into the office the first time since becoming lovers, DiNozzo was smirking and Gibbs glaring.

“Well, it’s about time!” A female voice greeted them.

“It’s nice to see you too, Kate,” DiNozzo quipped. “My two week leave was lovely, thank you so much for asking. And how are you?”

Kate stood at her desk, hands on her hips. “Can it, DiNozzo. Some of us have been working while you’ve been off.”

“Ah, as sweet talking as ever, I see,” Tony said with satisfaction. He plopped his backpack down by his desk and sat in his chair, immediately sending it twirling. “Admit it, Kate, you missed me.”

“She probably didn’t have time to miss anybody, DiNozzo,” Gibbs interrupted. Their banter wasn’t irritating him as much as Jethro let on. It felt normal and, to Gibbs, normal was a good thing. “Bring us up to speed, Kate.”

Kate gave Tony one last look before turning to their supervisor. “There isn’t actually that much to report, Gibbs,” she admitted sheepishly. “It’s been quiet. There were no new cases the week I was on leave and, with the two of you out, Director Morrow’s had me working on paperwork ever since I got back.” She glared at Tony. “Mostly I’ve been cleaning up DiNozzo’s reports.”

“Sweet,” Tony murmured. When both Gibbs and Kate turned on him, he corrected himself. “I mean, that’s too bad.”

It took all his hard-won Marine discipline to keep Gibbs from laughing. He’d known that Tony was pretty much back to normal , but seeing him like this in the office brought home just how much the young man had healed emotionally – and what Jethro had come so close to losing.

“Jethro, it’s good to have you back.”

Tom Morrow’s hearty voice caused all three agents to turn around.

“Good to be back, sir.” Gibbs said simply.

The director looked at him closely as he approached, smiling when he got a good look at Jethro’s face; apparently he liked what he saw there.

“I see your time off has done you a world of good,” Morrow commented. “You too, Agent DiNozzo.” Tony blushed and mumbled something. “I’m glad to have you all back at full speed; I have a new case for all of you.”

Gibbs reached for the folder that was offered and, as the director handed it off, he bent forward and whispered in Jethro’s ear.

“It’s good to see you full of your old piss and vinegar,” Morrow said low enough that only Gibbs could hear. “And that young man of yours… from the looks of things, events worked out for the best.”

“Yes, sir,” Jethro said, not trusting himself to say anything more in front of the agents he supervised.

“Good,” Morrow nodded, winking. Luckily, he’d winked using the side of his face that was turned from Tony and Kate and, as the Director walked off, the younger agents never knew how he’d been teasing their boss.

Jethro flipped the file open and read the briefing. He turned back to his crew and saw they were waiting for him to say something. “Well, what’re you standing around and staring for? We’ve got a case. Kate, get Ducky and DiNozzo, gas up the sedan and meet us out front.”

They scrambled to obey, even DiNozzo, and Gibbs felt himself relax a little more. Like Kate and Tony’s banter, it felt normal. Breaking Rule #12 hadn’t caused his career to come to a screeching halt after all. As cherished as his relationship with Tony was, it was a relief to find that it hadn’t changed his team’s ability to work together.

As the day went on and Gibbs went through the familiar motions of working on a case, that sense of rightness remained and even intensified. It was a good thing that he’d found the bantering between Kate and Tony comforting, because it only escalated as the day progressed. Even with his temporary sense of tolerance, Jethro was tempted to say something, until he realized that the teasing and jibes were the younger agents’ way of letting each other know that they missed one another. Kate, in particular, was in fine form but, then, she’d been worried about Tony months before his enforced two-week leave.

By the time they’d made it back to Abby’s lab with evidence in tow, Gibbs was almost mellow. As soon as she’d set up her analysis, Abby immediately latched on to Tony and dragged him off to a corner. Jethro let her, knowing it would be a while before the various test results were available. He sat in a handy chair to go over the files McGee had pulled, wanting to stay close for when Abby’s data came in. Kate had gone to her computer to trace some background information on their first suspect and Ducky no doubt was ensconced in his own lab.

Or maybe not.

“Well, young Anthony seems to have filled out some.”

Gibbs looked up at Ducky’s voice and found the older man was leaning against the door frame, a satisfied look on his face. Seeing the doctor’s attention was on Tony, Jethro turned slightly so he could see his lover. While not completely back to his normal weight, Tony had regained some during their time on Betsy, the fresh air and water bringing a healthy glow to his skin.

“Yeah, he did,” Gibbs responded succinctly.

When Jethro turned back, he found that Ducky was now studying him. He couldn’t help but blush a little, knowing full well that someone that knew him as well as Mallard did would be able to see his feelings for Tony written all over his face.

“Oh, yes, love looks good on him,” Ducky said, nodding slightly. “And you too, my old friend.”

Uncomfortable at the attention, Gibbs nonetheless met the ME’s gaze calmly. “I take it you approve?”

“Absolutely,” Ducky assured him. He startled slightly as someone tapped him on the shoulder and moved out of the doorway to let Kate into the room. “I think it may very well be the smartest thing you’ve ever done.”

With a final piercing look at Gibbs and tip of the head at Kate, Ducky left.

Kate looked from Gibbs to the spot where Mallard had stood. Then she looked over at where Abby and Tony were talking. Gibbs didn’t know how much she’d overheard, but after her phone conversation with Tony on Betsy, there couldn’t be any doubt in her mind about the nature of his relationship with DiNozzo. Knowing Kate, she was bound to say something about it, sooner rather than later. With deliberate nonchalance, Gibbs turned back to reading his report.

“Um, Gibbs?”

“Yeah, Kate?” Jethro responded to the other agent’s overture absently. Just because he was expecting her to say something didn’t mean he had to make it easy for her.

“About you and Tony….”

Gibbs looked up quickly, pinning an intense gaze on her. Kate gulped but held her ground.

“Tony doesn’t have any sisters and Abby and I were talking… we figured it’d be better coming from me, since I carry a gun…” Kate was unusually rattled.

“Yes…” Jethro prompted impatiently.

Kate took a deep breath and seemed to find her determination. Moving deliberately, she approached Gibbs. She leaned forward, placing one hand on each arm of the chair he was sitting in and getting right into his face.

“You’re in a relationship with Tony,” she said baldly. “We wanted you to know that if you hurt him, you’d better resign yourself to singing soprano for the rest of your life.” She stepped back only after staring, unblinking, into his eyes for several heartbeats.

Gibbs looked at her levelly, expressionless. Then, like the sun coming out, he grinned. “Nicely done, Agent Todd.”  
Kate let out a deep breath. “Thanks, but I should warn you, I meant every word.”

“I know,” Jethro nodded. “Good girl.”

She cocked her head at him. “You don’t mind?”

Gibbs solemnly shook his head. “No. Where Tony’s concerned, I have no problem with people looking out for his best interests.” He looked rueful. “I know you might have a hard time believing this, based on my past behavior, but one of my life’s goals is not hurting him.”

“I know,” Kate said softly. She patted Gibbs’ arm in a sisterly way. “I better go get that database search started.”

“Kate?” Gibbs asked before she left the room. When the other agent turned around, Jethro gestured to where Tony and Abby were still talking animatedly. “What’s that all about?”

Kate grinned, causing her dimples to come out full force. “You don’t have any sisters either, Gibbs.”

Jethro blinked. He looked over at Tony and Abby again, noticing for the first time how chagrined the expression was that DiNozzo wore.

He turned back to Kate. “Do I wanna know what she’s threatening him with?”

She shook her head. “Probably not.”

Gibbs nodded. “Okay. Carry on.”

As Kate walked out, Jethro shook his head in amazement. He was wrong; his relationship with Tony had changed his team’s working relationship.

It had made them into a family.  
________________________________________

“Oof.”

Tony dropped the box on the toilet. Maybe Kate was right, maybe he did use too many hair care products. He looked up briefly to glance into the mirror, reaching up and tweaking his hair minutely. Nah, it was hard to argue with results that looked that good.

It was a big day – moving day. He and Gibbs had been together for four months and they’d both quickly come to resent the necessity of having two residences. Since things were solid, both with them and at work, Tony hadn’t signed a new lease on his apartment when it came up for renewal. A friend had agreed to let him use place as his official residence on NCIS paperwork and, with all his mail already going to a PO box, it had been easy to make the rest of the arrangements.  
DiNozzo looked around Gibbs’ bathroom, trying to figure out the best way to incorporate his stuff into the small room. He wasn’t nervous about living with Jethro; their time on Betsy had shown they could live together quite nicely. Even so, as he glanced into the mirror again, he felt like he was missing something.

“Hey, DiNozzo, you fall in? We still got some boxes to move.”

Tony turned his head at the sound of his lover’s words. “Jethro, come in here a minute, would you?”

“I know personal grooming’s important to you, Tony, but there’s more stuff in the truck,” Gibbs said even as he did what Tony asked.

“Come here,” DiNozzo motioned him over.

Tony looked in the mirror as he waited for Jethro to come to his side, staring at his reflection intently. He didn’t see a soldier looking back at him anymore, but neither did he see a failure. He wasn’t sure what he saw… until Jethro joined him.

At watching his lover come to his side, Tony’s face lit up, prompting a responding smile on Gibbs’ face. The older man wrapped his arms around Tony and they looked into the mirror together.

What Tony saw looking back at him was love.

Apparently Jethro saw it too. “Like what you see?” He asked quietly, kissing the side of Tony’s neck.

“Oh, yeah,” DiNozzo said with feeling.

The two stood there for several minutes, basking in the feeling of being together. Gibbs was the first one to shake it off.  
“C’mon,” he said, pulling back and reaching for Tony’s hand. “The faster we get done moving your stuff, the quicker we can get started.”

“Get started with what?” DiNozzo asked.

Gibbs kissed him before answering. “The rest of our life together.”

Tony watched him walk away, a smile tugging at his lips. “Ooooh, yeah.” He moved to follow, but then stopped for a moment to address the mirror’s reflection one last time. “You are one lucky bastard – and don’t you ever forget it.”  
With a jaunty salute, he turned the light of in the bathroom, leaving the mirror behind in the dark, and walked away.

And he didn’t look back.

~ the end ~


End file.
